Home Ground Beef

[CosmicMiami]

I just scored a KitchenAid stand mixer, for $10 on my local NextDoor. It needed a good bath but now looks like new (except for a little minor surface rust around the bottom of the base but I can fix that too). The grinder attachment was the plastic one and the discs were missing. I ordered a new, metal one with all the stuff for $80. So I'm $90 in on a $400+ piece of gear. Funny thing is, wifey was putting some of our homemade mango jam up for sale and asked me to check the listing. I punched it up and saw the mixer on there that was posted just minutes prior. BAM. I jumped like a jackrabbit. She had it listed for free then asked for $5. I gave her $10. But I digress.

I'm planning on starting with some basic ground beef. Was at my local Costco and saw they have full packers for $3.79/lb. Chucks were &7.49 and 88/12 ground was $4.79. Of course the packers had plenty of fat cap. I was surprised the chucks were so high. Maybe they are in short supply now I don't know. I almost bought a brisket but decided to hold off until I got some advice from y'all.

If I trim all the fat cap from the brisket, what is the estimate on lean ratio? Also, what weight would I yield? I know it's a rough estimate. If chucks come down in price, what's the rough estimate on lean ratio without any fat trimmed?

Again I realize these are rough estimates. I'm excited to get on with grinding my own meats for a variety of things to include sausage making and ultimately Calamari Meatballs! I had then years ago in Boston at The Daily Catch. I've tried them with a food processor and couldn't get it right. I think I found a decent ripoff recipe but if anybody has one, feel free to hit me up.

Thanks all.

[Jerod Broussard]

I trimmed things out, separating fat from point and flat. The point with no fat cap was ground as is, and the flat was mixed with what fat from the fat cap gave me about 80 -20 with respect to weight.

[58limited]

Ideal fat ratios would be 80/20 or 70/30 for best flavor and juiciness. I use a blend of brisket, chuck, and short rib meat - roughly 45% / 35% / 20% respectively and I prefer to be closer to 70/30 fat ratio.

[JoeSousa]

When I grind meat I usually use chuck roasts combined with my brisket trimmings. It ends up being about a 60/40 ratio which is excellent for good, juicy burgers.

[CosmicMiami]

Thanks for the quick replies here.

Based on price alone, I think I'll snag one of the packers. I'll trim it up real well and weigh out everything. Grind to a 70/30 ratio and see what kind of yield I get in finished product. Still surprised the chuck roasts were as high as they were at Costco.

Thanks again y'all.

[Oak Smoke]

I don’t know what kind of grill you use, but when you get into these higher fat ratio grinds the possibility of a grease fire goes way up. On my kamado I have to just raise the top about an inch for a few seconds before I open it on up to make sure I don’t get a flash grease fire. That was learned the hard way. I wear a welding glove to open it now if I’m doing fatty foods.

[RonB]

Most recommend cooking to an internal temp of 165° for ground beef for safety. If you cut the brisket into hunks that will fit in a pot of boiling water, (30 sec is enough - just slosh the hunks around a bit), you can safely cook to any temp you want.

[CosmicMiami]

I don’t know what kind of grill you use, but when you get into these higher fat ratio grinds the possibility of a grease fire goes way up. On my kamado I have to just raise the top about an inch for a few seconds before I open it on up to make sure I don’t get a flash grease fire. That was learned the hard way. I wear a welding glove to open it now if I’m doing fatty foods.

Thanks. I have a RecTec Bullseye. I usually put a small pan underneath the grate.