It's called mince in Britain. In the U.S., we refer to it as ground meat. As this once humble food has escalated to $9 a pound or more, I started to rethink my approach to this versatile ingredient.
But first, a disclaimer. If you're a vegetarian, don't panic. Simply replace the word "meat" with cooked beans or chickpeas, lentils or tofu. This has already been done in the concept of sweetmeats or mincemeat pie. Not to worry.
It's cold outside, so, as in every year, I developed a craving for the stick-to-your-ribs foods of my Scottish ancestry: Shepherd's pie, pasties, meatloaf. I rummaged around in my freezer; there was no ground beef but there was a nice top sirloin steak! Jackpot! I thawed it out and unburied my mother's old-fashioned meat grinder.
This ancient tool needs to be in more kitchens. You can often find them at thrift stores. Most are made of galvanized iron but some are cast aluminum. They clamp onto your kitchen counter or table and there's a crank that you turn to move the ingredients through the grinder. So it's easy to feed the meat into the hopper and have ground meat come out of the spout and into a bowl you place to capture it.
But the beauty of the meat grinder is not in simply grinding the meat. Oh, no; you don't want to stop there. Quarter an onion and place it in the hopper alongside the meat. Add some carrots. Celery. Mushrooms. Whatever your heart desires. The grinder accepts it all and makes a flavorful and nutritious medley.
There's just something about a meat grinder that is very different than a food processor. The ingredients just seem to retain their autonomy somehow. The food processor is overkill. It makes a generic mush. Surprisingly, the meat grinder cleans up easily. It all comes apart. If a bit of rust forms, it can be wiped off with a paper towel (it's iron, so a little can't hurt if it goes into the meat).
Meatloaf
A rather ungainly name for a food that is easy to make and can be very nutrient-dense. So, we turn to AI (like everyone) for alternative nomenclature. "Italian Polpettone (stuffed with cheese/eggs), German Faschierter Braten, elegant French terms like Pain de Viande en Croûte, or descriptive names such as Herb-Crusted Forcemeat Loaf, Tricolor Stefania Slice, or Savory Pâté Terrine," are offered by the robot. I made a traditional meatloaf, but heavy on the mushrooms; they add such depth. When all had passed through the grinder, I poured it into a metal bowl with bread crumbs (leftovers from a Christmas baguette). I added two eggs, lightly beaten and then mixed it all together with my hands. I poured the mixture into an oiled loaf pan and cooked for 20 minutes in a moderate (350 degrees) oven. Then, I added a topping. Tomato sauce, panko crumbs, cheese are all traditional. Cook for another 20 minutes or until bubbly. Enjoy warm and reheated as needed!
Kibbeh
With the remains of the ground beef, I wanted to branch out into something more exploratory. Kibbeh is the national dish of Lebanon. It is a tricky dish composed of an outer shell of bulgur wheat and meat and an inner stuffing of veggies and meat. Why not put them all together? So, that's what I did. I soaked a half cup of bulgur in hot water and then lined a colander with some old sheeting, pouring the bulgur into it. I gathered up the bag and squeezed the excess water out of it. I added it to the ground beef mixture along with some 7-spice powder: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/how-to-make-7-spice/
If you don't have all seven spices, it probably will not make a difference. Some mint clippings also add to the flavor. This time, I added just one egg to make everything hold together. I formed tablespoons of the mixture into little lozenges and added them to a parchment lined baking sheet, baking them for about 20 minutes until browned. So wonderful, when dipped into a homemade tzatziki sauce! I served them as an appetizer with spears of cucumber and pineapple.
Want to try kibbeh without meat? Here's a gift link to a vegetarian version with walnuts:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012631-bulgur-and-walnut-kibbeh?unlocked_article_code=1.CVA.gHuT.BGcEi9qtCmW6&smid=share-url
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