What beef mincer?
Author
Discussion

TonyHetherington

Original Poster:

32,091 posts

278 months

Monday 21st May 2012
quotequote all
Hello all.

BBQ season is fast approaching (as is our jubilee party!), and in past years I've made my own burgers. This year, I want to adopt the Heston approach and use a mincer, and mince the beef myself, wrap in cling film and make the burgers "sideways".

Anyone have suggestions on a mincer? To be perfectly honest, I don't want to spend too much but as always if quality comes with cost, then so be it.

Any suggestions?

Oh, and I did use the PH search but typing "mincer" into the PH Google search brought just insults biggrin

Thanks!

Mobile Chicane

21,976 posts

240 months

Monday 21st May 2012
quotequote all
I've got an old-fashioned cast iron jobby which clamps to the worktop. I inherited mine from my parents, however similar are available on amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apollo-CI-Mincer-No-8/dp/B...

These don't get particularly good reviews for some reason. I don't know what people are expecting but they need to be assembled correctly, and mincing by hand is fairly hard work.

They also need a bit of looking after as they rust if not immediately washed and dried after use. Put a crust of bread through at the beginning of mincing to clean it.

TonyHetherington

Original Poster:

32,091 posts

278 months

Monday 21st May 2012
quotequote all
Interesting, thanks.

The Heston recipe I want to follow says to use both 8mm and 3mm 'plates' (I assume that varies the thickness) - is that something which only comes on mega expensive ones?

Mobile Chicane

21,976 posts

240 months

Monday 21st May 2012
quotequote all
Some grinders come with a variety of plates. Mine just has 'medium' I think. If I need a finer result I just put the meat through it again.

But, having googled Heston's recipe I can see what he's getting at - you definitely need a grinder with a 'coarse' plate to keep the chunk in the steak.

Just get one - it really is the best thing for burgers since you can bung any onion, garlic, herbs etc through the grinder with the meat. It's also useful for mincing roast leftovers for shepherd's / cottage pie, compared with a food processor which will whizz everything into dust.

Bob the Planner

4,695 posts

297 months

Monday 21st May 2012
quotequote all
I have a Porkert No 5 with 3, 4.5, 6, 8 & 10mm cutting disks and a sausage attachment (http://www.porkert.biz/export/php/index_meat_a.php). It comes with a 4.5mm as standard but additional blade are easy to pick up. It was about 25 quid IIRC and additioanl blades were about 5 each an ebay search should sort you out.

Plotloss

67,280 posts

298 months

Monday 21st May 2012
quotequote all
Isn't this a question we should be asking you? Oh and you've missed a comma.

wink