Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Grinding Venison Twice?

For the guys using some of these bigger commercial type (I know they aren't Hobart's) retail grinders, can you start with the small hole plate or do you need to run the meat through the bigger hole plate first?

I know they're are plenty of variables to this but with a pretty good trim job on the meat, cut into 1.5"-2" chunks or smaller diameter strips then chilled but nowhere near frozen, can you run through the smallest hole plate?

Hamburger gets ground twice. (this mixes the added fat evenly in the meat)

Sausage twice. (this mixes the fat and spices throughout the meat)

Chili meat only once.

There should be a grinding plate for each. HB meat has the smallest holes, followed by sausage, then chili plates have fewer, but larger holes in the plate.

If you grind more times than I said above, you won't like the result. It turns the meat into a sticky pink paste.

Yes, you can grind through a fine plate first.

I have a 3/4 hp Cabelas I use the small plate twice
Cold meat is by far best

Pretty common knowledge but..
Hank

I always use the course plate and grind twice and never add fat. Your hamburgers won't fall apart if you only turn them once.

^^^^^THIS^^^^^

We course ground half pork half deer meat and mixed well, then added sausage spices and mixed again, then ground fine the second time.

I have done it both ways and can't really see why you have to use the coarse plate. The only reason I can see to grind twice is if you add fat or spices and need to mix it in and you can grind twice with the fine plate. Works just fine.

Once through the fine plate works for me, but I'm lazy.

I grind thru the coarse plate first which is my preference, if I am grinding for others then I grind twice using the fine plate for the second grind.

yep always grind it twice with the fine plate

why would you grind any meat twice.

I grew up with my family being in the meat packing business. Game processing too.

You have lean trimmings and you should have to add beef fat, or pork fat (for sausage).

Grinding twice mixes the fat more evenly throughout the meat, so that you don't have lumps of fat without lean and vice versa.

Grinding the sausage twice helps mix the spices and the fat throughout the meat.

Twice and your patties will hold together better when cooked.

My preference is to grind once thru the coarse plate as I like the meat to have some texture. Grinding twice or thru the fine plate makes the meat too pasty for me. I don't very often make burgers so holding together is not an issue for me. I mostly use ground venison in chili, spaghetti sauce or make a meatloaf.

Exactly right.

Once is not enough, thrice is too much.

I've always done twice through the finest plate. And I use a 32 hand grinder. The first trip through I'm putting the venison and fat or pork. The second time through it comes out well mixed.

Depends on what you are going to make and what you are mixing with the Game meat.

If you are going to make sausage and are going to mix in pork,beef or other meats to the mix,then twice is good.
Once through a course plate, add spices etc, and again though your finer finished plate, then stuff. etc.
Same if you are going to add other meat /fat to your game meat for "burger".

If you are going to grind plain lean venison for whatever reason, once is plenty, Twice will turn the meat a mushy/pasty consistancy with a poor texture.

i always grind my beef fat first thru a 3/8 plate when its half froze then mix it with my venison which i cut in 1in cubes.i season it in all in a big tub then grind thru a 3/16 plate once. everything get mixed just fine by seasoning before you grind. any more grinding i find when frying patties the meat tend to tighten up to much and ends up like some of that store bought stuff in a roll ,kinda rubbery to eat.i like 20%fat in deer or pork sausage.

'Nother vote for twice through the 3/8" plate on our #12 TorRey for the reasons stated and to avoid a pasty patty. We cube up hazelnut-finished pork belly and shoulder to grind with our venison/elk. Makes for a right tasty burger.

We don't season the meat during the grind. Typical burger recipe is seasoned with alder-smoked salt, fresh ground pepper, cinnamon, sour dough bread crumbs (to hold the fat), caramelized onions, and a dash of Platinum Label tamari sause. When forming a patty, be gentle with it to leave some air voids.

It depends which plates you use.

If I grind fine twice I have soup... (I have a cabelas 1 hp grinder)

So I can grind twice if I use course plates.