A food processor is an incredibly useful kitchen gadget that you can use in more ways than one.
Still, it is important to use the right blades and speed settings to avoid unappetizing results.
To help get the most out of your appliance, we decided to investigate some of the more creative ways in which you can use your food processor.
From grinding cooked meat in food processor to making your own flour, butter, and even a healthy and delicious soft-serve dessert, we’ve got them all covered.
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Grinding Cooked Meat in Food Processor
The vast majority of food processor owners mainly use their appliance for chopping, dicing, and shredding vegetables.
Wondering whether you can grind meat in food processors? If yes, should the meat be cooked or raw?
Can You Grind Cooked Meat in a Food Processor?
Can you grind meat in a food processor?
If you have ever asked yourself this, you will be pleased to know that the answer is yes.
However, it can be tricky to achieve the correct texture, which will depend on the dish you wish to create.
If you are grinding leftover cooked meat to make a pate, it doesn’t really matter if you over-process it.
On the other hand, if you want to grind down some leftover steak to add to a soup, you’ll want it to retain its texture and be crumblier.
To grind cooked meat, you’ll want to fit your S-blade attachment.
To avoid over-processing, we have two top tips for you:
Pro Tip 1: Don’t Overfill
Cube your meat and add it to the food processor up to the halfway line or less, processing the meat in batches if need be.
Pro Tip 2: Use the Pulse Button
Grinding cooked meat will also work best by using the pulse button on your machine.
You’ll probably need to do anywhere between five and 10 one-second pulses.
Can You Grind Meat in a Food Processor Raw?
Yes, you can also grind meat in food processor when it’s still raw.
In addition to selecting the right blade and using the pulsing method, as explained above, it helps to keep the entire process cold.
Pro Tip 1: Partially Freeze Your Meat First
Once you have cubed your meat, place the cubes onto a parchment-line baking sheet and place it in the freezer for around half an hour.
This will help the meat retain its texture while it is being pulsed in the food processor.
Pro Tip 2: Freeze Your Blade Too!
While you’re at it, you may want to throw your S-blade in the freezer, too.
The colder this whole process is, the better chance you have of your meat grinding to perfection.
Can You Slice Meat With a Food Processor?
Not only can you grind meat in your food processor, but you can slice meat with it, too!
Make a perfect Philly cheesesteak sandwich by freezing your meat first, as described earlier.
Yet, instead of cubing the meat, you will want to cut it just small enough to feed into the food processor’s chute.
Then, just attach your slicing blade disc and feed the meat through.
Making Gluten-Free Flour in Food Processor
Did you know you can also make your own gluten-free flour in your food processor?
What’s more impressive is that it is much cheaper than buying specialty gluten-free options.
To do this, simply add your grains to the food processor and blend on a high power setting using your S-blade until it is transformed.
If you want to achieve a really fine and even consistency, make sure you process the grains in smaller batches.
You can make rice flour by adding rice, corn flour by adding dried corn kernels, oat flour by adding whole rolled oats, or quinoa flour with quinoa.
Making your own flour will not just save you money; it will be healthier, too, as it won’t have any additives.
Making Butter in Food Processor
If you like butter, you’ll love homemade butter even more.
Thankfully, you can whip up a batch in around 10 minutes with the help of a food processor.
Two cups of heavy cream will yield around one cup of butter.
However, if you are making larger batches, then expect your processing times to also increase.
Step 1: The Process
Using your S-blade attachment once again, add the cold heavy cream to your food processor and process on high for around 30 seconds.
Stop the food processor, scrape down the sides, and then switch it on again.
This time, process it for around two minutes.
Stop the food processor again, scrape down the sides, and switch it on again for around three to four minutes.
During this time, there will be an audible change in the way your food processor sounds.
Once you hear it, you’re ready for the next step.
Step 2: Sieve
Next up, you need to separate the butter from the buttermilk.
Do this by scraping and pouring the butter onto a fine-mesh sieve to get rid of the buttermilk.
Gently fold the butter in on itself to release any trapped liquid (you don’t want to push it through the holes of the sieve).
Pour the buttermilk away or save it in the fridge for other recipes.
Step 3: Wash
Finally, you need to return the butter to the food processor to wash away any remnants of whey.
Add ¼ cup of icy, cold water and process it for around 10 seconds before pouring the liquid away.
Repeat this process two more times.
Step 4: Sieve
For the final step, simply repeat Step 2, and you’re done.
Making Soft-Serve Ice Cream in Food Processor
Freeze two (or more) bananas for two hours or more and then chop them into chunks.
Pulse them in your food processor until they turn creamy, and then add two tablespoons (or more) of Nutella.
Pulse again and then pour into a bowl before returning to the freezer.
Allow five minutes of freezer time for soft-serve, or freeze longer for more traditional-style ice-cream!
Fabulous Food Processing
Now you know the tricks for grinding cooked meat in food processor, as well as how to make your own butter, flour, or healthy soft-serve.
Once you unleash the true power of your food processor, you will never be able to live without it.
If your old food processor isn’t performing as well as you would like, you might want to invest in a blender/food processor combo instead.
With one, you can create even more amazing dishes, as well as cut down on the amount of countertop space you need.