Ask DS: anyone use a Cabela's grinder?

[Natty]

Looking to purchase a grinder. Probably do a few deer a season. Maybe a hog. Tell me what ya got. Thanks.

[pondman]

If its the $99 dollar model, I have one. Love it. I usually grind up pieces and parts of 4 or 5 deer a year. My only complaint is that the meat has to be fairly clean -- little or no sinew and gristle. Run it through once and vacuum seal it up. I don't add fat, but I'm assuming that would not be a problem if you did.

Pond

[Greenhead22]

We have a 1 1/2 horse with the tenderizer attachment also. No complaints.

[Natty]

Maybe I should have been a little more specific. I'm looking at two of the less expensive models. the heavy-duty one(400W) is $120 and the next step(750W) up is $170. GH22 a 1 1/2hp is a hoss! and definitely out of my price range. Pondman, I planned on just bagging up burger meat and doing a little sausage. We will eat at least 2 deer before the next season. Would you still vacuum seal?

[pondman]

I think I have the 400W model. I usually put up 50-60 pounds of ground meat each year (1 pound packs). All venison no fat. I like the vacuum seal bags. I've never had a pack go bad. Its a little extra effort, but my 11 year old son (who usually killed the deer) helps me. If he is going to take a life, he going to see it all the way from living and breathing animal to food. It takes awhile to grind, but usually break it up in 2 sessions. One in November and one in June. For the June grind, I usually muscle out my hindquarters and trim them up. Once that is done I freeze the muscles and scraps that I am going to grind in a one big vacuum seal bag.

Pond

[johndavid78]

I did a lot of research before purchasing one. For me, I didn't want it to take much time. I frequently process 3 deer at once, and opted for the LEM #12. It was well worth the extra wait to save up and get something that I didn't want to make a boat anchor out of.

[Smoke68]

I got this one http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200451267

I think several places sell the same grinder of different brands. It's on sale for $99 a lot. And it is right now. I've processed 5-8 deer per year for the past 4 years. It will grind all the sinew, but I don't just because I want a better quality meat. The trimming is what takes the time. It grinds an entire deer in about 15 minutes.

As far as packing, I pack tight in freezer paper. I've had it go 1.5 years with no ill effects, but most of mine gets eaten in 10 months or less. I pack steaks in vacuum bags. Freezer paper packs much faster, though, which after all that trimming, by the time I get to packing I'm ready to be DONE.

[Greenhead22]

[edub20]

[pondman]

I will second what Smoke said. Its the trimming it up (sinew, gristle, bloodshot meat) that takes time. I do not trust any commercial processor with my meat. Too many bad experiences. When you look at a package of my ground venison, it is nothing but lean meat, no fat, no gristle, no sinew. The trimming takes time, but its worth it. Once its trimmed, I can chunk it up and grind up a deer in about 15-20 minutes.

Pond

[tombstone]

trimming takes most of the time. Clean up and vacuum sealing are time consumers as well. The actual grind takes no time. I use the 1.5 hp cabelas as well. It will grind a whole lot faster than I can feed it. I am like pond. The meat that I send through the grinder is clean; no silver, no white. It is just chunks of red meat.