ordered grinder and vacuum sealer, starting from scratch

[Tod osier]

thanks. i'm not planning on adding any fat to my burger meat. they've always asked at the processor if i wanted fat added and i've always said no.

I usually only worry about freezing when working with sausage (the added fat is the reason) and I do just as described above. I use meat lugs (get a few with lids) and if you put one in a freezer in without a lid with decently cold meat to start it will start to ice on the top and bottom in a half hour or 45 minutes. Unworkable for sure after 2 hours (although the middle would probably not be frozen at all).

If working with lean, I just make sure it is cold (not warm, but not icy, either) and keep the grinder fed well so it is grinding quickly and moving the meat through so as not to get warm.

 

[Murdy]

ok, so let's say i have my deer all butchered up. do i just stick everything i plan to grind into burger in the freezer for a while til it starts getting solid? then grind it and really freeze it after that? i'm sure it depends... but generally how long in the freezer before grinding?

I used to work for a butcher/sausage maker (2 actually). At one, we had a large walk-in freezer that we'd put meat in for about 45 minutes before grinding. We were working with pork, not whole muscle, but basically shredded down into chunks that would range from an inch to maybe 5 inches. I would chop up whatever you are grinding a bit. At the other, we'd run ice with the meat through the grinder (which might be a problem with a non-commercial grinder). This was for making sausage rather than burger. For burger, I'd leave it in the freezer for as long as possible, up to the time it became too hard to grind decently (depending on your grinder).

The purpose of this is to keep the meat from warming up during processing. There are a lot of moving parts -- and therefore friction -- in most meat processing equipment. When the meat warms up, bacteria can get active (why we refrigerate in the first place). This can cause anything from discoloration to a change in the taste of the meat (which is why in many opinions that pre-pattied burder isn't as good as hand pattied -- patty machines have more moving parts than most equipment and you are working with a small quantity of meat, which warms quicker).

After you are done processing, get it frozen ASAP. If you have space, spread out the product in the freezer so the heat can dissipate faster.

 

[chippewawarrior]

Anyone can do it. Just take your time...

 

[davsco]

very cool, do they do house calls??

 

[chippewawarrior]

They said they were willing to help anybody in trade for meat!

 

[chippewawarrior]

If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask. I used to be a butcher & my brother-in-law currently is.

 

[ztreat]

I've learned to really love ground meat bags and a taper. I'd definitely invest in those with your grinder.

 

[Farmerlentz]

I find that ziploc freezer bags are way faster and easier to use than a vacuum sealer. Quarts for burger and cut up steaks and gallons for everything else. Have found stuff in the freezer that was 4 years old using this method and never had any freezer burn. Now I have 2 kids so nothing lasts 4 years lol.

 

[davsco]

so deer hunting last nite with my bro, he got a small buck. threw it on the gate of my pickup and did the gutless method, first time, pretty cool. even got the tenderloins out no problem. seems like it took forever today to get meat off the quarters, guess i was just too careful trying to trim all the bad stuff off, around 5 hours?? tenderloin and backstraps and a few roasts are vacuum sealed and in the freezer. burger meat is somewhat cubed and in freezer, when it starts getting frozen i will run it thru the grinder. i will say those razor knives are very sharp and very pointy and i think i shouldn't admit this but i count 5 'incidents' all over my one hand including one good'un on my thumb...