How to Clean a Meat Mincer

We all have many small appliances in our kitchen but few of us have a meat mincer. In years past, these items were as common as toasters are today. Also known as a meat grinder, this small appliance will not only provide you with some of the best tasting meats you have ever eaten but will also save you some money. One of the ways to save money with your meat mincer is to buy quality meats on sale and in bulk and grind your own ground beef. Once you've tasted fresh ground beef (that is, ground beef made from steaks you've purchased), you will never buy packaged ground beef again. There are also still many hunters out there that choose to process their own meat which makes for some very tasty deer sausage and burgers. Fresh ground sausages, meats for chili, and fish for soups can all be prepared at home with a good quality meat grinder.

Some people grind their own meat due to being on restrictive diets and require extremely lean cuts of meat. Using a meat mincer to grind their own meat allows them to control the exact amount of fat that goes into their meals. Others choose to grind their own meat due to the almost weekly recalls of ground beef or some other meat products. Still others like to serve meat products that are as fresh as possible or just feel good about knowing exactly what is in the ground meats or sausage they feed their family and friends.

Regardless of all the great reasons a person may have for grinding their own meat, they all face the dreaded task of cleaning their meat mincer following the preparation of that freshly ground sausage. However, if you follow the few simple directions below, this chore can be accomplished with as few issues as possible.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. First of all, never purchase a meat grinder that cannot be completely disassembled. Also, never attempt to dodge cleaning your mincer by placing it in a freezer. Clean it after every use.

2. After you complete the grinding of your meat, run a couple of pieces of bread (white bread if available) through the meat grinder before you disassemble it. This will clean out the worst of the meat and most of the grease. I also like to run a couple of cups of ice through the grinder following the bread, again to remove as much of the meat particles as possible.

3. Take the grinder completely apart and wash all the parts with hot, soapy water. Now dry all parts and place them aside until you are sure they have thoroughly dried.

4. After the parts have all dried, reassemble the meat mincer and store as you would any other small kitchen appliance.

Tips & Warnings

• Storing the cutter and dies in a baggie with some rice helps prevent these items from rusting. The rice helps absorb any moisture.