The Different Ways You Can Use a Meat Grinder
If you were to ask a traditionalist what they use a meat grinder for, they might look at you like you’re from another planet, as the use is right there in the name. But these days, people are more willing to think outside the box in terms of how to use these devices. Meat grinders have proven themselves to be multi-faceted and capable of making several different types of foods. Here are the different ways you can use a meat grinder to help you cook.
Cutting Vegetables
You might find it surprising that you can cut vegetables with a meat grinder, but don’t knock it until you try it! There are several settings on a grinder, and not all of them grind. Many of the settings slice items in different sizes. As such, you can run your vegetables through the grinder once or twice using the largest setting to achieve perfectly symmetrical slices that you can use to make a variety of dishes.
Grating Cheese
Cheese can be a complex food item to work with, depending on how tough it is. Different types of cheeses have different consistencies that can make them hard to cut. If you’re trying to finely grate the cheese, you can get tired quickly, especially if you’re trying to shred a large amount for salads, tacos, or casseroles. However, if you run your cheese through the right-sized grinder, you’ll find that you can easily grate or cube it according to any shape, texture, or amount you like.
Making Peanut Butter
It may come as a surprise but making peanut butter using a meat grinder is relatively simple. Set your grinder to the most delicate grate setting and run your peanuts through until they achieve a sand-like consistency. When the peanuts become this fine, all that’s left to do is add a pinch of salt, a fair amount of sugar, and some neutral oil. Mix well, and you’ve got some of the most refined peanut butter you’ll ever taste.
As you can see, there are several different ways of using a meat grinder, and not all of them involve meat. Try a few of these for yourself to get the most out of your grinder!