6 Best Meat Grinders For Making Chorizo On The Homestead That Honor Tradition
Discover the best grinders for traditional homestead chorizo. Our guide compares 6 top manual and electric models for achieving authentic, time-honored results.
There’s nothing quite like the sizzle of your own chorizo, made from pork you raised yourself, seasoned with spices from your garden. But if you’ve ever made a batch that came out pasty or greasy, you know the secret isn’t just in the recipe. The real magic—the authentic, crumbly texture that defines great chorizo—starts with your meat grinder.
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Why Your Grinder Defines Authentic Chorizo Texture
Authentic chorizo is not a fine-textured sausage. It’s rustic and coarse, with distinct pockets of fat and lean meat that render perfectly in the pan. Your grinder is the tool that creates this essential foundation.
A weak or poorly designed grinder will struggle, mashing the meat and smearing the fat instead of cutting it cleanly. This smearing creates an emulsified, paste-like texture that cooks up greasy and dense. The goal is a distinct particle definition, which can only be achieved when cold meat and cold fat are pushed through the grinding plate with enough force.
Think of it this way: the grinder isn’t just making the meat smaller, it’s setting the stage for the final mouthfeel. Whether you’re making Spanish-style chorizo for slicing or Mexican-style for crumbling, that initial grind determines whether you honor the tradition or end up with something closer to a hot dog. It’s the most critical mechanical step in the entire process.
LEM #10 Clamp-On: A True Homesteader’s Classic
The manual, clamp-on grinder is an icon of self-sufficiency for a reason. It requires no electricity, is built like a tank from cast iron, and is simple enough to be repaired by anyone with basic tools. The LEM #10 is a perfect example of this timeless design.
This is the grinder for someone who processes meat in manageable batches, maybe 10 to 15 pounds at a time. It forces a slower, more deliberate pace, which is actually a benefit. You have time to ensure your meat stays ice-cold, and you develop a real feel for how the fat and sinew are moving through the auger.
Of course, there’s a tradeoff: it’s a workout. You need a very sturdy table or countertop to anchor it to, and grinding a whole pork shoulder will test your arm strength. But for its reliability, low cost, and off-grid capability, the clamp-on manual grinder remains an unbeatable choice for the traditional homesteader.
Weston #32 Manual Grinder for Larger Chorizo Batches
If you love the simplicity of a manual grinder but are processing a whole hog, the Weston #32 is your answer. The number refers to the size of the grinding plates, and a #32 is a significant leap in capacity from a #8 or #10. More meat is processed with every single turn of the crank.
This is a serious piece of equipment, often bolted directly to a dedicated workbench. Its sheer size and weight provide the leverage needed to handle larger quantities without the same level of fatigue you’d get from a smaller model. It’s the logical step up when your homestead’s output outgrows the classic clamp-on.
While it still demands physical effort, the efficiency is remarkable. You can grind 50 pounds of pork for a winter’s worth of chorizo in a fraction of the time it would take with a smaller unit. It’s the perfect middle ground between pure manual labor and the expense of a high-end electric grinder.
STX Turboforce 3000: Power for the Modern Farmer
Sometimes, time is the most limited resource on the homestead. The STX Turboforce is an electric powerhouse that respects your schedule. It’s designed for home use but has the power to chew through meat quickly and efficiently, preventing the dreaded fat smear.
This grinder shines when you have a lot to process and a short window to do it. Its powerful motor doesn’t bog down, which is critical for maintaining the cold chain. The meat moves through so fast it doesn’t have time to warm up, preserving that all-important texture for your chorizo.
The reality is that it has plastic housing components and it’s noisy. But for the price, the performance is hard to beat. If you’re processing a deer or a couple of pigs each year and want to turn grinding from a half-day chore into a one-hour task, this is an incredibly practical tool.
LEM #8 Big Bite Grinder: A Reliable & Powerful Choice
LEM’s Big Bite series represents a sweet spot for the serious homesteader. It combines thoughtful engineering with durable, all-metal construction. This isn’t a kitchen gadget; it’s a piece of meat processing equipment built for repeated, heavy use.
The key feature is the "Big Bite" auger, which is specially designed to grab chunks of meat and pull them into the grinding head. This means less time pushing with the stomper and a more consistent, faster grind. It’s a small detail that makes a huge difference when you’re 30 pounds into a grinding session.
This grinder is an investment, but it’s one you make for reliability. With metal gears and a powerful motor, you won’t worry about it burning out halfway through processing your harvest. For someone who makes sausage, grinds burger, and processes game several times a year, the Big Bite #8 is a dependable workhorse that justifies its cost.
Cabela’s Carnivore: Commercial Power for Your Kitchen
When you consistently process multiple large animals a year, you need a grinder that simply will not slow down. The Cabela’s Carnivore line brings commercial-grade power and speed into the home kitchen, built for homesteaders who measure their output in whole animals, not pounds.
These grinders are defined by their horsepower and incredible throughput, often measured in 10-20 pounds per minute. They handle partially frozen meat and tough sinew without a hint of strain. This raw power ensures a clean, cool cut, which is exactly what you need for perfect chorizo texture on a massive scale.
This level of performance comes with a cost, and the machine is large and heavy. It’s absolute overkill for occasional small batches. But if your goal is to process an entire hog into sausage, roasts, and ground pork in a single day, the Carnivore’s efficiency is unmatched. It turns a multi-day project into a streamlined, professional-grade operation.
KitchenAid Metal Grinder for the Versatile Homesteader
Many homesteaders already own a KitchenAid stand mixer, making the grinder attachment an attractive, space-saving option. However, it is absolutely critical to choose the all-metal version. The older plastic models are prone to cracking and are notorious for smearing fat, ruining sausage texture.
The metal grinder, when used correctly, is perfectly capable of producing excellent chorizo in small batches of 5 to 10 pounds. The secret is temperature. You must chill the entire metal assembly—the housing, auger, plate, and blade—in the freezer for at least an hour before use. Your meat should be firm and partially frozen as well.
This is not the tool for processing a whole pig. The motor on the mixer can overheat with prolonged, heavy use. But for turning a single pork shoulder into a fresh batch of chorizo for the week, it’s a fantastic and versatile tool that leverages equipment you already have in your kitchen.
Choosing Plates for Traditional Chorizo Coarseness
No matter which grinder you choose, it’s useless for making traditional chorizo without the right grinding plate. The plate is the metal disc with holes that the meat is forced through. The size of these holes dictates the final texture of your sausage.
For authentic chorizo, you need a coarse grind. This provides the crumbly, rustic texture where the meat and fat remain distinct. The two best options are:
- 3/8" (10mm) Plate: This is the ideal starting point and the most common choice for a classic, all-purpose chorizo.
- 1/2" (12mm) Plate: For an even chunkier, more rustic Spanish-style chorizo, this plate delivers a wonderfully toothsome texture.
Avoid using the fine plate (typically 1/8" or 3/16") that comes standard with many grinders. A fine grind will mash the meat and fat together, creating a paste. This is the single biggest mistake people make, resulting in a sausage that is greasy and dense instead of light and crumbly. The coarse plate is non-negotiable.
Ultimately, the best grinder is the one that matches the scale of your homestead and gives you control over the final product. Choosing the right machine and the right plate isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about respecting the animal you raised and honoring the culinary traditions that turn a simple harvest into something truly special.
