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I have a large block of cheddar cheese that I would like to use for burgers. But grating is such a pain. I do have a meat grinder. Can I use that for "grating" cheese? Has anybody done that before? Will it mess up the grinder?

I know someone who says it's perfectly fine, but he never did it before. I know another person who's friend says it's not because cheese is sticky and may jam the grinder. I cannot find anything on google either. Has anyone had any experience with "grating" cheese with a meat grinder?

9a3eedi
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2 Answers2

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During my younger days working in restaurants I have grated many pounds of cheese using a 'meat grinder' (or rather the meat grinder attachment for a hobart stand mixer)...I have also used my home Kitchen Aid meat grinder for cheeses (cheddar, jack and mozzarella mostly). So, it depends on the grinder and the attachments you have but yes it can be done.

You want a fine grinder plate and cold cheese (so it stays together better). You probably also want to be doing a "serious quantity" as the set up/tear down/clean up will be an endeavor. If your having friends and family over for a Mexican Fiesta, perfect. If you are making a quick plate of nachos...OVERKILL.. For a few burgers, do it once and decide for yourself if you want to do it again.

  1. It won't be bad for the grinder
  2. It won't be bad for the cheese
  3. Expect Leftovers...

(note: IMHO near frozen mozzarella for lasagna is a perfect place to use a grinder for cheese...)

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Cos Callis
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    Isn't the texture of the cheese altered by being smashed through the die instead of sliced as a grater would do? – Sobachatina May 30 '14 at 14:21
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    @Sobachatina, The 'texture' is somewhat changed to begin with but most of the time I have used this the purpose of the cheese is for melting as part of a dish (as OP suggests on top of a burger or in a lasagna) and the outcome is the same. – Cos Callis May 30 '14 at 14:43
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My mother gave a Moulinex meat grinder (very old). She said she used it for cheese before and says it works. But she also said that when you finish, run a few slices of table bread through it to pick up all the pieces of cheese that is in the crevices so it will be easier to clean. Hope this is helpful because I'm thinking about doing the same thing with the Moulinex.

ladydi
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