I'm now grinding my own ground beef!

If you read my post regarding Deli Turkey you will remember the by-products and fillers that go into this so called 'meat.'  During my research online to see exactly what by-products and fillers consist of, which is a very long list, I ran across what exactly goes into 'pink slime.'  After my research I decided I wanted no more deli meat that only contains 16% meat and I wanted no more ground beef that contained 'slime.'  If you haven't read my Deli story, scan down 3 or 4 posts and read what happened.  If you want more info regarding what is contained in by-products, fillers and pink slime simply google them. 

Now for what I did.  I bought my own meat grinder.  I went online and read up on several brands and found one called 'Back to Basics' and love it.  I found sirloin tip roast on sale for $3.99, bought 2 lbs. and ground my own lean ground beef.  I made a burger patty from my freshly ground beef and you won't believe the difference in taste.  No fillers!  All beef taste!  I also talked to the meat man at the grocery store about how and what to buy for grinding.  He educated me on picking out my beef and even pork.  He even gave me tips on how to use the pork to make my own sausage.  You buy Boston Butt when its on sale, cut into strips eliminating as much fat as you want.  Add your seasonings and then take a small piece, fry it up to check your fat content and taste.  This allows you to add more fat and/or more seasonings.  Yep, I'm gonna make my own sausage too.

Read my Deli article and then do your own research.  Hopefully if enough people raise enough noise we can get our meats cleaned up.

It's All in the Pan

Question -What is the difference between 'Pan-frying', 'stir-frying' and 'sauteing' ???
Answer - The pan.

Pan-frying:  An old-fashioned pan-fried steak has appeal and is simple to make.  Preheat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat with a few drops of oil and place your steak in the skillet.  Cook halfway and flip your steak once.  Cook to your desired doneness without flipping again.  Don't added water, cover or overcrowd the pan.

Stir-frying:  To stir-fry, cut the meat into small pieces and add them to a few drops of preheated oil in a wok.  Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden or silicone spatula, until the meach reaches doneness.

Sauteing:  This term comes from the French verb Sauter - to jump or bounce - so when sauteing, keep it moving.  Cut your meat into small pieces and add it to a small amount of hot oil in a preheated skillet.  Saute on medium or medium high heat stirring frequently until done.





Tip:  To create a nice brown crust when frying, be sure to pat the meat dry first.  Moisture on the meat creates a barrier that prevents beef from browning.