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Member Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 1863 Location: Wisconsin

Suggestions? The majority of use will be grinding venison. I’d like suggestions on makes, models and what else to look for.

Reno

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1973 Location: Maine

Manual or power?

The old cast iron manual models do a nice job. A good workout, but a nice job. There's a reason those old grinders have been around a century or more.

Joined: 14 Feb 2017 Posts: 401

Cabela’s. Different sizes and not cheap but “buy once, cry once.”r

Joined: 03 Sep 2014 Posts: 398 Location: Rochester, MN

Do you have a Kitchenaid Mixer?

The meat grinder attachment is reasonably priced and works well with venison and geese.

https://www.amazon.com/Attachment-KitchenAid-BQYPOWER-Included-Grinding/dp/B083BBH4LG

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 444 Location: WI

I got one of the Cabela's ones pre-Johnny Morris. Works great, ground up a lot of deer with it. Get an electric powered one, not the hand crank kind. And not the smallest one either, get the most horsepower you can afford. Trust me on this...

And if you're looking for processing suggestions, and you didn't, but here's mine:

Chop up that deer fast, and get it in the freezer faster. Aging, unless done hanging in a cooler in controlled temperature and humidity conditions just above freezing, makes meat rank. Don't age deer by hanging it in a tree. That's just stupid unless you can keep the temp at exactly 33-34° F the entire time with low humidity.

Get ALL the fat and connective tissue off. That's what gives deer a "gamey" taste. Take the time to trim it clean as you can.

And when grinding deer meat, mix in about 10% pork loin. A lot of people use pork butt because it's cheap, but pork loin will provide enough fat that deer burger will stick together when cooking, but still is lean enough that it's not too fatty and greasy when cooking.

Your mileage may vary, but that's what I do with deer. To each their own!

https://www.lemproducts.com/category/butcher-meat-grinders
Then scroll down on the left side of the page for refurbished grinders if you're in a $$$ pinch.

I bought the pre-big bite model #12, 3/4 HP model a long time ago. I also only use it for venison. But when I bought it I was butchering both pork and beef frequently during the colder months. Lem claims it will grind 11 pounds a minute. That's overkill for only 1 white tail doe a season. So I suggest a slightly smaller HP model. Don't be afraid to question their customer service guys.

Lem has never let me down and I have lots of their equipment.

https://www.lemproducts.com/category/butcher-meat-grinders
Then scroll down on the left side of the page for refurbished grinders if you're in a $$$ pinch.

I bought the pre-big bite model #12, 3/4 HP model a long time ago. I also only use it for venison. But when I bought it I was butchering both pork and beef frequently during the colder months. Lem claims it will grind 11 pounds a minute. That's overkill for only 1 white tail doe a season. So I suggest a slightly smaller HP model. Don't be afraid to question their customer service guys.

Lem has never let me down and I have lots of their equipment.

https://www.lemproducts.com/category/butcher-meat-grinders

Then scroll down on the left side of the page for refurbished grinders if you're in a $$$ pinch.

I bought the pre-big bite model #12, 3/4 HP model a long time ago. I also only use it for venison. But when I bought it I was butchering both pork and beef frequently during the colder months. Lem claims it will grind 11 pounds a minute. That's overkill for only 1 white tail doe a season. So I suggest a slightly smaller HP model. Don't be afraid to question their customer service guys.

Lem has never let me down and I have lots of their equipment.

[url]https://www.lemproducts.com/category/butcher-meat-grinders[/url]

Then scroll down on the left side of the page for refurbished grinders if you're in a $$$ pinch.

I bought the pre-big bite model #12, 3/4 HP model a long time ago. I also only use it for venison. But when I bought it I was butchering both pork and beef frequently during the colder months. Lem claims it will grind 11 pounds a minute. That's overkill for only 1 white tail doe a season. So I suggest a slightly smaller HP model. Don't be afraid to question their customer service guys.

Lem has never let me down and I have lots of their equipment.

https://www.lemproducts.com/category/butcher-meat-grinders

Then scroll down on the left side of the page for refurbished grinders if you're in a $$$ pinch.

I bought the pre-big bite model #12, 3/4 HP model a long time ago. I also only use it for venison. But when I bought it I was butchering both pork and beef frequently during the colder months. Lem claims it will grind 11 pounds a minute. That's overkill for only 1 white tail doe a season. So I suggest a slightly smaller HP model. Don't be afraid to question their customer service guys.

Lem has never let me down and I have lots of their equipment.

https://www.lemproducts.com/category/butcher-meat-grinders

Then scroll down on the left side of the page for refurbished grinders if you're in a $$$ pinch.

I bought the pre-big bite model #12, 3/4 HP model a long time ago. I also only use it for venison. But when I bought it I was butchering both pork and beef frequently during the colder months. Lem claims it will grind 11 pounds a minute. That's overkill for only 1 white tail doe a season. So I suggest a slightly smaller HP model. Don't be afraid to question their customer service guys.

Lem has never let me down and I have lots of their equipment.

https://www.lemproducts.com/category/butcher-meat-grinders

Then scroll down on the left side of the page for refurbished grinders if you're in a $$$ pinch.

I bought the pre-big bite model #12, 3/4 HP model a long time ago. I also only use it for venison. But when I bought it I was butchering both pork and beef frequently during the colder months. Lem claims it will grind 11 pounds a minute. That's overkill for only 1 white tail doe a season. So I suggest a slightly smaller HP model. Don't be afraid to question their customer service guys.

Lem has never let me down and I have lots of their equipment.

Joined: 26 Apr 2016 Posts: 369 Location: Vermont

I bought a 3/4 horse power Cabelas years ago no regrets. It is heavy but well made, I mostly use it for grinding meat for making venison and goose sausage. I also bought a sausage stuffer makes things a lot easier. If you get a stuffer too make sure you get one with metal gears rather than plastic.

A few years ago, my wife and daughter bought me a Cabela's Pro 450 electric grinder. Works great, but I don't have any other electric grinder to compare it to. I am happy with it, but I'm never in a hurry when I cut up an animal. I could never be a professional meat cutter.

I use to grind beef fat and then pork sausage into the meat. Each worked well, but five years ago, I suffered cardiac arrest while cross country skiing. No more sausage or fat for me. I just grind the meat. The wife cooks the same dishes she used to and I grill the burgers on my tiny Weber. I think I enjoy the taste better without beef fat or sausage now. Burgers hold together well.

I agree with others who have said to remove all fat and connective tissue before grinding.