Ewwww! meat 'paste'.

[Molly]

Soooo,  Day 2 of TMX....  I used the Budget Buster recipe book,  pg 17 "Curried Beef Mince with Cabbage" as the basis for what my family calls 'Kai Si Mein'.  I used all the same ingredients I normally would,  except the stock,  and it's tastes really quite different!  Unexpected!!  And,  the mince ended up more like a paste,  which was really not pleasant to eat ...  but we all forced it down. 

So,  am I doomed to meat pastes in the TMX?  I used mince as it was the same price as chuck steak.

[CreamPuff63]

i remember making that recipe...once!

try making your own mince molly, and partly freeze it before mincing. i usually don't mince for as long as they say as i like a chunkier mince most times.

[faffa_70]

Use the butterfly as well as REVERSE - this helps a lot with mince dishes

[judydawn]

Cathy79 really gave that recipe the thumbs down in her recipe review so it is one I would never try.  Chookies Chow Mein on the forum is similar but without all the spices so you could give that a go Molly.  It is probably the only recipe I do quite often as it freezes well and makes a handy standby meal when you haven't got time to cook.

[cathy79]

Molly - here is the review that I did that Judydawn mentioned.  I used the ingredients in the recipe so it was mainly the flavours that we didn't like.  But I think the texture was pretty mushy too.

There is lot's of discussion on the forum about mince texture.  Some love the bolognaise as it is soooo smooth (we like it, and I don't think it's paste), where as others who like the mince chunkier have gone back to the stove.

I don't think you're doomed to meat pastes.  Read the previous discussions (there's been a few) about the bolognaise and mince cooking), then have a go and see what you and your family think.

http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1583.0
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1518.0

[Molly]

Thanks Cathy.  Those links were very helpful.  Thank you for searching them for me. 

I'll work this place put eventually.   :-)

Isn't it interesting how some people find it just fine....  perhaps that is simply how they expect their mince to be???

[cathy79]

Personal taste definitely comes into it.  Everyone likes (and is used to) different textures.  The most important thing is that you have a result you are happy with.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I must admit that we do prefer the texture of bolognaise from the pan, but I still make it in the TMX as it is so easy and saves me time.  I find the mince in Cathy's one pot spag bol tweak much nicer than when I make the bolognaise and spaghetti seperately.  I wonder if the spaghetti in there for most of the cooking stops the mince from being chopped up quite so fine. 

[Thermomixer]

Don't have the recipe at hand, but short bursts on Turbo for mincing and then reverse for cooking is good .

[AmandaN]

I made meat paste last night!

But it was all good!  Was making gozleme, and had mince instead of diced meat.  I put TMX on soft spoon, but still ended up with paste anyway.  But gozleme was the best thing to make with meat paste anyway!

[Molly]

I made meat paste last night!

But it was all good!  Was making gozleme, and had mince instead of diced meat.  I put TMX on soft spoon, but still ended up with paste anyway.  But gozleme was the best thing to make with meat paste anyway!

"When life gives you lemons..."  and all that. 

[Thermomixer]

.... and you are on a Failsafe diet ?  Then you really are in trouble 

[Molly]

Okaaaay, make that:  ""When life gives you citric acid..."  and all that.
 

[cookie1]