Meat Stuff

I’m cheating. No real recipe here. But I know it’s been around awhile because the key ingredient is the use of an old meat grinder. I’ve tried doing it with a food processor or chopping by hand, but nothing gets the texture right like a meat grinder. I can remember standing in the kitchen with one, fascinated by the way the spiral blade pushed a hard-boiled egg forward. I enjoyed helping, in the same way my daughter now gets excited about using it. Or maybe it was just the reassurance that by being the one to wield the grinder, I knew exactly what my mom might be trying to sneak past me.

In process, no relish meant I had to grind my pickles too.
What a great exclamation of frustration that would be: "you really grind my pickles!"
or maybe its cool and sexy, "O, baby, you grind my pickles..."

 This recipe is a roast beef salad sandwich spread but for as long as I can remember we’ve always called it by the less than appetizing name: Meat Stuff. “We’re having company stay with us this weekend; I think I’ll make some of that meat stuff.” “There’s some of that meat stuff in the fridge if you’re hungry.” “Did your mom make any of that meat stuff?” “Why don’t you take some of the meat stuff home with you for lunch tomorrow.” It has become a holiday tradition to have a bowlful in the fridge for whenever the munchies strike, and I don’t mean some regular bowl, I mean a Tupperware cake container turned upside down and used for a bowl kind of bowl. In a sandwich, scooped up on crackers, spread on carrots or celery, it’s all purpose Meat Stuff.

One cooked roast

Hard-boiled eggs

Onions

Sweet pickle relish

Miracle whip

Put the roast, eggs, and onions thru a meat grinder in a proportion that tastes good to you. It seems to me like it’s a 3:1 proportion of meat to egg. Add pickle relish and enough miracle whip to moisten and make it all into a barely spreadable paste. A little of the pickle juice might be needed to moisten it too. Salt if necessary. A little cottage cheese can extend it if needed.

Ta da! Meat Stuff ready to go into sandwiches for the band tonight.