Food processor to chop up cooked pork?

food-processor
(Bruce Pick) #1

I’m considering getting a food processor. Will it do what I want? I’m sure I’ll find other uses for it later but here’s my current need…

I have nearly 2 lb of cooked pork loin which turned out to be very low fat. It’s pretty dry, and I don’t want to merely douse it in BBQ sauce to moisten it up. I want to chop it up, add an appropriate amount of fat, and cook it into a keto chili recipe I’ve used often with 80-85% lean ground beef. The pork loin is cooked to the point of nearly falling apart. You can still cut it with a knife but the meat wants to shred.

So… will a food processor chop this this into chunks between 1/8" - 1/4"? Or about 3-6 mm. chunks. Will I need a really good processor or will a lower priced one do the job? Or is this not a job for a food processor at all?

Maybe I should just get busy and use with my sharpest knife on it. But I’d l like to see what people suggest.

(Trish) #2

I recently put chicken breast into my processor and it totally shredded it in moments, which was the effect I wanted. I was using the chicken as a keto pizza base…fat head variant. I would think that the pork would be no different in the machine than the chicken was. I’m not sure that it would have been left in chunks, but possibly if using the pulse speed instead of just letting it go continuous.

(John) #3

If it were me I’d just use one of my chef’s knives. I have some nice kitchen cutlery and cutting boards. I have the tools and skills to keep them very sharp. So what you are describing would be a simple task.

A food processor is a fairly brute-force tool and I suppose you could pulse it briefly to somewhat control the size of the results. Like Trish posted, it can quickly turn the meat into meat puree, so if you go that route be careful.

I find cleanup to be easier with a cutting board and knife, too. There are times where you want a food processor or blender, certainly, but for what you are describing, I’d use a knife.

(Ken) #4

IMO, if.you get.a.processor, get.a good one that will last. My Cuisinarts have lasted for.decades.and.are.still going strong.

(Polly) #5

If using a food processor, take it steadily with brief pulses or you will end up with baby food / meat paste.

You could always try one of these

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/18678/Standard-Cast-Iron-Meat-Mincer?src=gfeed&efid=CjwKCAjw1_PqBRBIEiwA71rmtSxXtDPcHhn2M2OPdKBhUNcepbQhdLz8onT9GN3vV_ovmK7N7JuRlBoCHJgQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!105382274429!!!g!42886409904!&ev_chn=shop&ef_id=CjwKCAjw1_PqBRBIEiwA71rmtSxXtDPcHhn2M2OPdKBhUNcepbQhdLz8onT9GN3vV_ovmK7N7JuRlBoCHJgQAvD_BwE:G:s&gclid=CjwKCAjw1_PqBRBIEiwA71rmtSxXtDPcHhn2M2OPdKBhUNcepbQhdLz8onT9GN3vV_ovmK7N7JuRlBoCHJgQAvD_BwE

(Failed) #6

If you have a KitchenAid or other mixer that has a paddle rather than a balloon type beater, try this: cut it into thick slabs across the grain, then use the mixer paddle to break it up the rest of the way.

When I want loose hamburger, instead of frying it up in a pan, I cook it in my instant pot pressure cooker in one big chunk, even from frozen. When it’s done, I throw it in the mixer bowl, turn on the heater for a couple of minutes and it breaks it right up. Ooey, gooey sloppy cheeseburgers!

(Bruce Pick) #7

Thanks, friends - and especially to JohnH. I used a sharp knife instead of shopping for a food processor and spending $$ on it. Worked just fine.

The pork chili isn’t as tasty as the ground beef version, but it’s miles ahead of the experience of eating the plain pork loin “boneless ribs”. We might add some keto bbq sauce to give it more zing. G Hughes makes one that we keep on hand.

#8

I always use a couple forks, pulling in opposite directions to shred meat up. Works great.
As for ground beef, pressing a firm whisk into the meat breaks it up beautifully. I’ve also used the beaters from my hand mixer to stomp the ground beef from chunks to small pieces. No electricity required.

For more zing or heat, try taking your spices - like chili flakes, etc, and heating them up in a clean, dry pan. Don’t burn them, just heat them gently for a few minutes. This process is called “blooming”. It helps release the flavors/heat from the spices. Then, add the spices to the meat. The flavor is more intense. I do this with Aleppo chili pepper flakes, and goodness! … “Intense” is not a strong enough word to describe the effect!

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #9

Food processors will not cube your meats. It is excellent for shredding it however. Best bet for cubing is a quality set of chef carving knives and some skill at using them.

If chili is the required in product, use a meat grinder on the thickest setting.

No matter what you decide to do it should taste great, it is one of my favorite dishes.

(Tyler) #10

I’d use a really sharp knife to get the chunks of pork you’re looking for. I’d be surprised if a good processor would give you that result.