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So you’ve decided to make your pet happy today by grounding the chicken bones you just devoured a while ago but you’re wondering if your meat grinder can actually grind those bones, Well, you shouldn’t as I’m going to hold you by the hand and walk you through everything you need to know today.
Now the big question. Can You Grind Bones In A Meat Grinder? The answer is Yes but not all bones can be grounded using a meat grinder.
Meat grinders (like LEM Meat Grinders) can only grind bones of animals (like chicken, duck, rabbits, etc) that are very soft and cold. If you wish to grind hard bones from animals like turkey or beef then you’ll be needing a special grade grinder that is designed for this purpose.
Purchasing a heavy-duty grinder will not only save you the stress of grinding plenty of bones at once but will ensure that your bones are well-grounded to your taste.
Depending on what you want and of course, your budget, investing in an electric meat grinder is always a wise decision to make although they are a bit expensive than your regular meat grinder but it’s worth your investment considering that you’ll be using them for a long grind.
Even if you don’t intend to use them often for grounding bones, having them in your home will save you the cost of having to buy two meat grinders when one can do all of your groundings, for you with ease.
Importance Of Having Your Own Meat Grinder
There’s more to just purchasing a heavy-duty electric meat grinder you need to know. All of which will be made known to you in the next heading
1. Healthy
If you’re like me that don’t joke with hygiene then you should consider grounding your meat/bones yourself at home to save you the stress of fear of possible contamination from using public grinders.
2. Saves Cost
Having your own meat grinder at home will save you from spending too much cash on purchasing already grounded meat/bones from the market.
Grounded meat can be expensive sometimes and that’s because you’re not only paying for the minced meat, you’re also paying for service rendered but having a meat grinder in your home can help you save cost.
3. Greater Control
Purchasing a meat grinder gives you total control of how you want your meat to be grounded plus the type of meat to be grounded unlike buying grounded meat on the counter where you cant be sure of what you’re getting.
4. Greater Taste
It’s no longer new that freshly ground meat will taste better than meat that has stayed over time. Unless you’re getting yours from the butcher directly, there’s every possibility that you might end up buying those that have stayed for a long time.
But this isn’t the case when you ground your meat yourself. You do not only enjoy a tasty meal, but you also have the opportunity to choose the type of meat and quality to be grounded.
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Things To Note Before Grinding Meat/Bones In A Meat Grinder
It’s not enough to own a meat grinder alone, certain things should be noted for a successful ground. Below are just a few of the things you must take into consideration when grounding your meat/bones the next time.
1. Always Double Ground
Start each grounding with a hole size of 3/8″ to crush your meat/bones then end it with a smaller hole size of about 1/8″ or 3/32″ for a smoother or finer ground.
Double grinding helps takes a large piece of meat/bones into smaller pieces. When you re-ground those smaller pieces again, you make them even smaller.
2. Ensure That Your Meat/Bones Are Cold
Once your mean/bones are cold, it will be easier to ground them than when fresh. So ensure to keep them cold or a bit frozen for a smoother grind.
3. Check The Thickness
The thicker the bones the more difficult it will be to grind so always check the bone’s thickness and length. A good way to do this is to measure the bone thickness with your thumb.
If you notice that they are way thicker than your thumb then you need to refrain from grinding such bones as this may dull the blades of your grinder.
4. Only Grind Raw Bones
If your intention is to prepare a meal for your pet, then it’s wise to only ground raw bones that are easily pliable than cooked bones that are too hard. Bones from the rabbit, poultry wings tips, fish, rodents,s and that of ribcages are the best bones to ground for your pet.
Which Meat Grinder Can Grind Bones?
There are lots of brands and models of meat grinders out there for you but only a few can actually give you value for your money as far as grounding bones is a concern.
If you really need to ground bones at home then it’s wise that you invest in quality electric meat grinders especially if you want to use them for frequent grinding. This meat crusher has powerful motors that can crush the bones of turkey, chicken neck, and wings to your taste.
Continue to learn more about which electric meat grinder you should be using to ground your meat/bones.
Read Also: Best Commercial Grade Meat Grinder (Reviews 2020)
1. LEM Meat Grinder 22
LEM is known for its performances and outstanding results as far as meat grinders are concerned. This meat grinder has everything you’ll ever need in a grinder and to think that you can use it to effortlessly ground meat/bones to your taste and preference is just mind-blowing.
Main Features
The Built
The LEM meat grinder is made from quality, durable materials and built in such a way that it can resist rust and corrosion. All thanks to the stainless steel body it came with. The machine also operates at 1 HP and most suitable for people that desire more output.
This grinder also comes with a huge, stainless steel “big bite” auger to enable you to ground meat of about 13 lbs in minutes. Because it’s chiefly made of stainless steel, you’ll find cleaning this grinder a lot easier than its predecessor.
Another noticeable feature that sets this grinder apart from others is its quiet operation. In fact, if you’re looking for a meat grinder that is perfect for your home use and that can enable you to ground meat on a regular basis then you should consider purchasing this awesome grinder.
Performance
This grinder comes with a massive 750-watt motor, running at an amazing frequency of 60 Hz. Having an outstanding frequency and watt like the one on LEM enables the grinder to run at high speed to make grinding meat/bones a lot quicker and easier.
Safety
It is a well-known fact that overheating can cause your grinder to perform poorly and may ultimately degrade the gears but with LEM #22 grinder, you won’t have to worry about anything anymore as there’s a feature for this.
This grinder comes with an inbuilt circuit breaker in place to stop the machine once it begins to overheat. This is one feature you won’t find in many grinders.
Permanent Lubrication
Grounding for a long time will cause your machine to overheat and you may need to constantly lubricate your motor every now and then but you don’t have to go through all those stress when you own a LEM #22 electric grinder.
LEM #22 grinders come with a motor that is permanently lubricated. A motor that is permanently lubricated will make grinding meat/bones less stressful and smooth.
Assembling/disassembly
Unlike other grinders that take almost forever to assemble and disassemble, this machine is very easy to set up once you read through the manual. Another thing I like most about this grinder is the fact that it’s easy to load and grind with it. Just be sure to wash it thoroughly once you’re done using it.
2. STX INTERNATIONAL STX-3000-TF Turboforce
STX-3000-TF Turboforce is another great grinder that you can use to conveniently ground bones and meat at home. This grinder comes with a motor of 3000 watts which features three speeds (High, Low, and reserve). Continue reading to learn more about this crusher.
Main Features
The Built
The machine comes with 304-grade stainless steel cutting blades that can ground meat/bones between 180 and 240 Lbs per hour when it’s at high speed. These blades can be easily washed by hand or with a dishwasher.
The push-button also has other options for you to switch between low and reverse. There’s also a switch available for you to stop the machine and also to reset it.
Performance
Another outstanding feature of this machine is that it comes with a high-quality stainless steel tray that can hold 3 lbs of meat. This tray with a feeding tube that measures over 2 inches (in diameter) can enable you to ground meat of over 250 lbs in 1 hour.
Safety
This grinder also comes with a circuit breaker for safety. One sign of a good meat grinder is having a safety feature in place. This feature ensures the safety of the grinder and as well the person using it.
Assembling/disassembly
You don’t need to be a genius before you can assemble or dismantle this machine because it’s so easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to assemble.
How Do You Grind Bones In A Meat Grinder?
Step 1: Separate Your Bones
It’s easy to ground meat and bones in a grinder if you know what you’re doing. Before you proceed, first ensure that you’ve separated your bones from the meat.
The best way to do this is to use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut through and then carefully take your bones out. Deboning is such a great skill only a few people have. Check out the below video to learn how you can de-bone a chicken.
Step 2: Cut Them Into Smaller Size
Once you’ve successfully separated your bones from the flesh, divide them by cutting them into smaller pieces with a very sharp knife. This will enable them to fit into your grinder then place them in a bowl.
Step 3: Set Out A Bowl To Catch Ground Bones
Now that you’ve successfully chopped your bones into smaller pieces, you’ll need a bowl to collect your grounded bones. This bowl should be very clean to avoid contamination of any sort.
Step 4: Set-Up Your Grinder
The next step is to set your grinder on a flat, smooth surface such as the countertop. Ensure that they’re enough space for you to easily slide in your bowl for an easy collection of grounded bones.
Step 5: Feed The Bones Into The Grinder
This is the part you need to be extra careful as feeding the bones at once may cause your grinder to break or clog. You’ll need to start by feeding them one at a time. Allow each bone to go through and out before sticking another into the grinder.
Step 6: Store Your Ground Bones
This is optional but if you don’t want to feed your pet all of the grounded bones then it’s a good idea that you store a part of them in the refrigerator. To store them, you’ll need to put them in air-tight containers. Prolong storage can also make them lose quality.
How To Care For Your Meat/Bone Grinder
Once you’re through with your meat grinder, the next best thing to do is to feed bread through your grinder. Bread helps to absorb oil and pushes out any leftover fragments.
Once you’ve done this, you can now dismantle them. Take out time to carefully wash each part separately with warm soapy water.
Thereafter, ensure to dry each part before assembling them together. You can place them over your counter to enable them to dry faster.
Can You Grind Bones In A Meat Grinder – FAQ
What Can I Use To Grind Chicken Bones?
Except you prefer using a manual machine, the best grinder to ground chicken bones is an electric grinder. Not just any electric crusher but ones with high Watts and built for such purposes.
If you’re looking for an efficient meat grinder that can help you ground poultry wing tips, turkey bones, ribcage bones, rodents, etc then I suggest that you give LEM #22 meat grinder a try. This grinder will make grounding bones a lot more fun than the majority of the ones out there.
Can Kitchenaid Meat Grinder Grind Bones?
Yes, but I’m not sure if all of them can actually ground bones except for the Pro 6000 KitchenAid grinder which is most notably known for grounding smaller bones of the chicken. With this grinder, you can ground 80 lbs of chicken bones.
How Do You Grind Beef bones?
It’s easier to grind beef bones when you cut them into tiny pieces before feeding them through your heavy-duty meat grinders like the LEM #22 grinders. Just be sure to double grind for a finer ground.
Will A Manual Meat Grinder Grind Bones?
Yes, a manual meat grinder can perfectly ground bones to your taste. The only issue is that it requires a lot of work that’s why I always recommend purchasing an electric grinder over a manual grinder if you intend to do more bone grounding on a daily basis.
Can You Grind Bones In A Meat Grinder – Conclusion
Grounding bones for your pet meal is such an exciting exercise for pet owners who wish to treat their pets to homemade food.
As exciting as these exercises can be, it’s more rewarding when you purchase your own meat grinders (such as LEM #22 Grinder) as it will save you time, money and ensures that your pet eats a healthy meal.
So that’s all you need to know about whether or not bones can go through a meat grinder or not. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.
