Any meat butchers present?

[Eric2340]

Might seem like and off the wall question, but I want to try something -

My son and I enjoy making our own homemade chili, nothing crazy, just some simple chili mix, beef, tomato sauce and whatnot (onions, beans, etc.). Nothing involved or crazy, just a simple chili recipe.

I've been wondering for a while and thinking about it, is there any reason I could not use a beef steak of some type, say like a ribeye - have it de-boned and then ground up, and use that in place of regular ground beef? I already know and realize the cost difference and expense we are talking about here, but it would just be for something to try with this type of beef, or for once in a while vs the usual old thing? We've done it before with chicken and ground pork meat, and I am sure it can and has been done with turkey also ?, I just wanted to try it with a nicer piece of regular meat (no game animal or anything like that) just to see if it would work or how it might come out?

 

Thanks! -

Eric

[Huaco Kid]

If an animal's not moving,  it's pretty much edible.

[Huaco Kid]

Sometimes, even if they are.

[Moeman]

Ok novice, but I have a kitchen aid mixer with the grinder attachment. What ever you stick in, comes out ground. I won a few chili contests and my special forces are mix several types of meat, including precooked carnitas from the Mexican market, add a little of the Mexican hot chocolate cubes (which has  Cinnamon. Little bit and whatever.... not sure that buying higher end meat will help, so report back.... I brown my meats, including Italian sausage, and cook, let it cool than add stuff like onions (browned) parsley etc. as for the chili spices never done it the same twice. Won a few minor events. Actually is better the next day. Oh, and canned chipotle Chile’s in adobo sauce and some tomato paste. Tase as you go, so,e times needs sugar. Beans? Your call, like some but not a lot. 

 

 

[Zonny]

I would NEVER waste a ribeye by making chili with it. Don't get me wrong, I love chili and make mean pot but grinding up a perfectly good steak? No way. 

Use a roast if you want to try something other than standard ground beef. 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2018 by Zonny

[tehan2]

I'm not a butcher, but made a decent living selling food for a while.  If you're staying with beef, the best burger blends I've ever tasted were Shortrib, Sirloin and Brisket.  Start with 1/3,13,1/3 mix and adjust (I would put more shortrib, but everyone's tastes are different.

When I make chili, I use the local market's "meatball blend".  It's pork, beef, and veal already ground, adds great flavor without being too over the top

 

[Valmet]

It’s kind-of a dying art. A friend of mine is a whole-animal butcher in San Diego and has done extremely well with the natural/organic crowd. It’s something I’d like to learn more about for my own curiosity. 

[Gun Shark]

1 hour ago, Eric2340 said:

Might seem like and off the wall question, but I want to try something -

My son and I enjoy making our own homemade chili, nothing crazy, just some simple chili mix, beef, tomato sauce and whatnot (onions, beans, etc.). Nothing involved or crazy, just a simple chili recipe.

I've been wondering for a while and thinking about it, is there any reason I could not use a beef steak of some type, say like a ribeye - have it de-boned and then ground up, and use that in place of regular ground beef? I already know and realize the cost difference and expense we are talking about here, but it would just be for something to try with this type of beef, or for once in a while vs the usual old thing? We've done it before with chicken and ground pork meat, and I am sure it can and has been done with turkey also ?, I just wanted to try it with a nicer piece of regular meat (no game animal or anything like that) just to see if it would work or how it might come out?

 

Thanks! -

Eric

Why would you grind a great cut of meat and make it into chili? That’s like grinding filet mignon to make it into a hot dog or a meatball.

[gwalchmai]

I use round or sirloin steak for chili, and I cut it into quarter- or half-inch cubes. I prefer that to it being pre-chewed.

[Walt Longmire]

First, you've got to kill a moose, or an elk, or a deer...…….

[crockett]

It for sure will be better than your average ground beef with all that shredded cartilage in it. I have a hard time finding really good ground beef around here. Even the $9 grass-fed and organic packs are often full with tiny bits of cartilage, sometimes even bone pieces. Ruins every chili when you have to chew on rubbery crap with every other bite.

I'd say go for it. If it turns out great let us know. I'll try it out.

And regarding the concern to cut up a perfectly fine steak: I only buy high quality, organic and none GMO fresh produce, meats and fish. No more processed crap. When you are in that category, a ground up ribeye is rather on the cheap side, compared to everything else. I checked my CC statement over the last few month. I arrived at $900 a month just for groceries. One person. I really need my own piece of land with some room for an organic garden and a few chicken. If you buy at Wally World and your regular chain supermarket, you can get away with far less if you don't care for really health groceries. When you start shopping at Costco and especially WholeFoods only, you'll be raped for good.

Edited August 19, 2018 by crockett

[Hauptmann6]

Normal burger (unless named like ground round, or sirloin) is scraps of everything. Ribeye, round, flank, etc. Only part I wouldn't grind would be briscut.

[Hauptmann6]

But honestly, for chili, try just cubing a slightly fatty roast. Gives chili a whole new texture. It's great.

[nitesite]

Smoked brisket and the burnt ends is just fantastic as a base in chili.  KROGER has it on sale thru this evening for $1.99/pound.

 

Edited August 19, 2018 by nitesite

[Gun Shark]

It for sure will be better than your average ground beef with all that shredded cartilage in it. I have a hard time finding really good ground beef around here. Even the $9 grass-fed and organic packs are often full with tiny bits of cartilage, sometimes even bone pieces. Ruins every chili when you have to chew on rubbery crap with every other bite.
I'd say go for it. If it turns out great let us know. I'll try it out.
And regarding the concern to cut up a perfectly fine steak: I only buy high quality, organic and none GMO fresh produce, meats and fish. No more processed crap. When you are in that category, a ground up ribeye is rather on the cheap side, compared to everything else. I checked my CC statement over the last few month. I arrived at $900 a month just for groceries. One person. I really need my own piece of land with some room for an organic garden and a few chicken. If you buy at Wally World and your regular chain supermarket, you can get away with far less if you don't care for really health groceries. When you start shopping at Costco and especially WholeFoods only, you'll be raped for good.

Doesn’t change my opinion(and we too only purchase quality meat from Costco, The Fresh Market, etc). I wouldn’t grind a ribeye to make into chili. Now that I think about it, I think I’d only grind it to make into a burger, and only if it was my only option. But hey it’s your money and your steak.

[crockett]

1 minute ago, Gun Shark said:

 

Doesn’t change my opinion(and we too only purchase quality meat from Costco, The Fresh Market, etc). I wouldn’t grind a ribeye to make into chili. Now that I think about it, I think I’d only grind it to make into a burger, and only if it was my only option. But hey it’s your money and your steak.

 

A good chili takes a lot more effort, time, prep and ingredients than a burger. Good quality meat will also enhance a chili. I think good chilies are underrated, if not unknown with many. It deserves more attention and better ingredients. All that being said, now I'm really inclined to try my chili with some quality steak. I will need a good grinder.

[OV1kenobi]

Might as well be dead to me, as lousy as the Detroit Tigers have been lately.

Still, to this day fifty years later, I enjoy rubbing the noses of Cardinals fans in the shyte over the 1968 World Series.

 I despise the Cardinals, and Bob Gibson is akin to the Anti-Christ.

LOL!

Will always be a Tiger fan, because Detroit is where I am from.

[OV1kenobi]

Sorry, tapped on the wrong thread. 

No, I am not a meat butcher.

Will now attempt to slink away quietly, as I doubt anyone noticed.

 I still despise the Cardinals.

Flame suit on

Edited August 19, 2018 by OV1kenobi

[Gun Shark]

25 minutes ago, crockett said:

A good chili takes a lot more effort, time, prep and ingredients than a burger. Good quality meat will also enhance a chili. I think good chilies are underrated, if not unknown with many. It deserves more attention and better ingredients. All that being said, now I'm really inclined to try my chili with some quality steak. I will need a good grinder.

I never said I wouldn't use good quality meat. I just said I wouldn't use a ribeye for chili. I would seriously be struggling to grind a Prime or Premium Choice ribeye for use in chili. I just, I'd have to be incredibly desperate, and even then I am not sure I could do it(as I am now trying to imagine myself doing it). But that's just me.

[Gun Shark]

12 minutes ago, OV1kenobi said:

Sorry, tapped on the wrong thread. 

No, I am not a meat butcher.

Will now attempt to slink away quietly, as I doubt anyone noticed.

Flame suit on

But what's your opinion on using a ribeye for chili?

[holyjohnson]

i`m not gonna say no when you send me some.

 

i`ve had ribeye in beef stew and it was good i cant imagine it will be bad in chili.

Good Luck.

[Moeman]

49 minutes ago, crockett said:

A good chili takes a lot more effort, time, prep and ingredients than a burger. Good quality meat will also enhance a chili. I think good chilies are underrated, if not unknown with many. It deserves more attention and better ingredients. All that being said, now I'm really inclined to try my chili with some quality steak. I will need a good grinder.

If ya have a kitchen aid mixer just buy the attachment, if ya have a food processor cut into cubes freeze 15 minutes and pulse. On the ground beef from a store never start with any over 85% lean. We have a cabin here named Stater Bros that has a real butcher, they will grind anything for free. Stores with a butcher getting rare here, blister pack stuff. I think chili should have a kick, from me cayenne pepper to taste, little at a time cause you can’t unwind that stuff without adding a ton. 

Also, I put anchovie paste from a tube in to add umami. Enhances flavor little goes a long way. 

[Eric2340]

3 hours ago, Moeman said:

 not sure that buying higher end meat will help, so report back....

 

 

2 hours ago, Gun Shark said:

Why would you grind a great cut of meat and make it into chili? That’s like grinding filet mignon to make it into a hot dog or a meatball.

 

1 hour ago, crockett said:

It for sure will be better than your average ground beef with all that shredded cartilage in it............................................I'd say go for it. If it turns out great let us know. I'll try it out.

 

 

1 hour ago, Hauptmann6 said:

But honestly, for chili, try just cubing a slightly fatty roast. Gives chili a whole new texture. It's great.

 

55 minutes ago, crockett said:

A good chili takes a lot more effort, time, prep and ingredients than a burger. Good quality meat will also enhance a chili. I think good chilies are underrated, if not unknown with many. It deserves more attention and better ingredients. All that being said, now I'm really inclined to try my chili with some quality steak. I will need a good grinder.

 

Well that's why I asked.

 

Looks like a 50/50 mix of "don't do it" and "why not?" LOL

Next time we make some I think I may give it a shot - just a small batch, what do we have to loose? It's got to be better than "turkey chili" one way or another right?

 

Thanks all !!!! ????

 

[Ron B]

What most of you are posting is a recipe for Sloppy Joe. Why are you grinding up the meat?   Look up a recipe for Texas Chilli.

Most important-

 No beans and no tomatoes

Use chunks of beef

use a combination of chillies or powders, cumin, oregano, garlic, do not use something labeled Chilli powder

Seriously, try Texas Chilli

 

To answer your question, you can use whatever meat you want, you are eating it and if you think it is good keep on doing it.

[Zonny]

3 minutes ago, Eric2340 said:

 

Looks like a 50/50 mix of "don't do it" and "why not?" LOL

 

Only because you used two Crocketts and no Zonnys