How to Grind your own Pork (Using Grinder Attachment)
Learn how to grind your own pork with a grinder attachment! In this recipe, you'll get step-by-step instructions for perfect ground pork every time. Make your best homemade breakfast patties, grind your own pork for homemade Italian sausage, chorizo, and more. Get grinding!
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Freeze all internal parts of your meat grinder attachment. This includes the coarse grinding plate, blade, auger and tray. You want these ice cold to give a good grind and not end up with a kind of smashed up end product. Word of caution: this is a critical step to ensure success.
- Cut your pork into chunks. Since I have a fairly low powered grinder, I cut them about 2" by 4". You need them small enough that they will fit down the throat of your grinder. If you are lucky enough to have a nice powerful grinder, you can leave the chunks bigger.
- Put the pork chunks in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until they firm up some. You want them firm but not frozen. If you cut your pork chunks larger then adjust the freeze time to get them firm. I put them on a sheet pan and cover them loosely with plastic wrap.
- Remove your meat grinder attachment parts from the freezer and assemble your meat grinder once your pork is firm and you are ready to grind. Place a large bowl or other container, adequate size to catch all of the ground pork under the grinder.
- Turn your meat grinder on high and start putting the meat down the throat of the grinder per your meat grinder's instructions. Use the stomper to push the meat through gently if the grinder isn't pulling it through on it's own. Some more powerful meat grinders should not be started empty, so keep that in mind.
- Process the entire batch of pork through your meat grinder, catching it in your clean container. This completes the first grind of the pork.
- (You Can Skip This Step if you want Standard "Ground Pork" not "Sausage.") Sprinkle whatever sausage spice mixture you are using onto the ground pork and then add any liquids needed and mix by hand. Mix the pork mixture fairly well but don't worry about perfection. This will disperse the seasoning and the pork fat more evenly throughout the sausage mixture. (At this point if the pork has started to warm up, you may want to put it back in the freezer for another 15 to 20 minutes to firm it up again. You may not need to do this step if you're working quickly.)
- You are now ready for the final grind of your sausage. Put another bowl or container under the grinder to catch the finished country breakfast sausage.
- Turn your grinder on and feed the seasoned coarse ground pork through your meat grinder once again. I have found the best way for me is to grab a small handful and form it into a cylindrical shape that I can drop down the throat of the meat grinder, pushing gently with the stomper if necessary.
