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Grinding your own meat may sound hopelessly old-fash-ioned and slightly Luddite, but there are lots of good reasons for it.

Hamburgers, meat loaf, spaghetti sauce, meatballs -- they're all so much better with home-ground meat. I've been doing it off and on for years, mainly for sausages and sauces, but recently I've begun grinding my own meat for hamburgers and meat loaf, and what a change. Texture and flavor are so different from purchased ground meat, so much lighter and, yes, fresher tasting, plus I like selecting the cuts of meat to grind.

I also like having direct control over the source of my food. I have a garden and fruit trees, and while I don't see myself raising my own animals, choosing the cut and quality of the meat I use for grinding puts me a step closer to the source.

I've used the old-fashioned hand grinder and KitchenAid attachments, but my new favorite way to grind meat is in the food processor. I like the irregularity of the texture and the ability to simply pulse to get the size of grind I want. It isn't an actual grind, but more like fine chopping with a knife, which is how my neighbor in Provence showed me to add character to pâté.

There are other, more serious, reasons for grinding your own meat. With concerns about mad cow disease, meat-borne bacteria, and the feeding of hormones, antibiotics and animal food to animals, purchasing the meat of your choice and then grinding it yourself is a healthy solution. Commercial ground beef, especially the lower grades, can be made from old or sub-par animals. Because it is processed more than steaks and roasts, ground meat can be more prone to carrying harmful bacteria if it has not been handled correctly.

When you grind your own meat, you can choose which cuts to use, how much fat content they have and the grind you want. You can also add your own seasonings and grind them with the meat, or season the meat before grinding it.

Besides the quintessential hamburger, thick meaty sauces and your own bulk sausage, consider ground lamb, seasoned and wrapped with bacon or tucked into pita breads with mint and yogurt; ground pork with green chiles to fill tortillas; meat loaf made with ground turkey or chicken.

Different grinds are more amenable to different dishes. For example, meats coarsely ground with just a few pulses in a food processor are ideal for making meat sauces that are destined to simmer for hours because not all of the sinews and connective tissues are broken down, and as they cook, these will flavor and thicken the sauce, as well as deliver a more varied character than a finely ground meat. Hamburger meat can be either coarse or medium ground, depending upon the texture you want.

When you grind your own meat, you are making your own choice about the type and quality, about the freshness of the ground meat, and you have great leeway in terms of creativity. You are in control -- what could be better?

In general, meat that is about 20% fat will produce the most flavorful results for sausages, sauces, stews, meat loaf and meatballs. The shoulder cuts of lamb, beef, pork and veal have approximately this percentage. Very, very lean meat can become dry when cooked, especially if slowly cooked in liquid. Poultry is very lean, so bacon, pancetta or prosciutto may be added to increase the fat content and flavor. Fat is not a four-letter word; it helps to bind ground meat together, and keeps it from being dry.

Following are the cuts I like to use for various ground meat preparations:

-- Hamburgers: beef sirloin, sirloin tip or top round for lean burgers (about 15% fat); or boneless beef chuck steak or roast (about 20% fat)

-- Sauces, meat loaf, meatballs: boneless beef chuck steak or chuck roast, skirt steak

-- Sauces, meat loaf, meatballs: pork butt or pork shoulder

-- Patties: lamb sirloin (which comes from the leg) for lean patties (15% or less fat); boneless lamb shoulder (about 20% fat)

-- Sauces, meat loaf, meatballs: boneless lamb shoulder

-- Sauces, meat loaf, meatballs: boneless veal shoulder

-- Patties, sauces, meat loaf, meatballs: boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast

-- Equipment must be meticulously clean. Wash all pieces well with hot, soapy water and rinse well with boiling water.

-- Grinding, whether in the food processor or a meat grinder, is best done with chilled equipment. With a food processor, chill the blade and bowl. With a meat grinder, chill the grinder, blade and grinding plates.

-- Cut the meat into cubes or strips. Chill for 30 minutes in the freezer before grinding.

-- Use home-ground meats immediately or wrap, refrigerate and use within a day or two. Home-ground meats may be frozen for up to 3 months.

Food processor. This machine chops meat rather than grinds it, resulting in a product more like hand-chopped, although more uniform. Work in batches, and pulse the meat for just a few seconds per batch. Combine the batches together and pulse again to achieve the desired result -- coarse or medium. Fine is not recommended because it can produce a mushy texture when cooked, especially if slow-cooked.

Hand grinder. These require some arm power, but not an inordinate amount. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. It is easier to start with the large grinding plate and do a coarse grind first, then change the plates and follow with a medium or smaller grind if desired. After each grinding, remove the blade and grinding plate and clean well, as bits of sinew can wrap around them and clog the equipment.

-- East Bay Restaurant Supply, 49 Fourth St., Oakland; (510) 465-4300

-- Dvorson's Food Service Equipment Inc., 480 Gate 5 Road, (near Harbor Drive), Sausalito; (415) 861-5840

Stand-alone mixers. Grinding attachments for KitchenAid, Bosch and other brands are available. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. It is easier to start with the large grinding plate and do a coarse grind first, then change the plates and follow with a medium or smaller grind if desired. After each grinding, remove the blade and grinding plate and clean well, as bits of sinew can clog the equipment.

Sausage stuffers. Stuffing attachments are available for manual meat grinders and stand-alone mixers. Stand-alone stuffers are also available. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

-- Dvorson's Food Service Equipment Inc., 480 Gate 5 Road, (near Harbor Drive), Sausalito; (415) 861-5840

Casings. Sausage casings can be ordered through meat markets, and are often a standard item in ethnic markets.

This is my version of the meat loaf my mother used to make. She always asked the butcher to grind the meat for her, and she used veal, not turkey. Mother always cooked it in a dark orange, lidded Le Creuset loaf pan that I now have. It is definitely comfort food, and it makes the best meat loaf sandwiches ever.

1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound turkey breast, slightly frozen, and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 green bell pepper, seeded and minced (about 3/4 cup)

1 small onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

3 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

The Sauce: Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, lemon juice and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring. Cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Before beginning, see grinding tips on this page.

Fit an electric or hand-turned meat grinder with the coarse-grind plate. Grind the beef. Remove the plate and clean it and the blade and auger well, removing and discarding any sinew or other bits. Repeat with the turkey and the pork.

Mix the meats together with your hands, then fit the meat grinder with the medium-grind plate and grind the meat again, if desired. Alternatively, use a food processor, pulsing the meat to a medium grind.

Put the meat in a large bowl and add the eggs, bell pepper, onion, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Mix well and pack the mixture into a loaf pan, mounding it somewhat in the middle.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the meat has slightly pulled away from the edges of the pan. Remove the meat from the pan and pour off the collected fat. Return the meat to the pan and bake for 20 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and again pour off any collected fat. Spoon the sauce over the top of the meat, return the pan to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the meat has pulled away even more from the edges of the pan, indicating it is cooked through.

Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

PER SERVING: 410 calories, 35 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat (9 g saturated), 167 mg cholesterol, 1,144 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Chef-owner Judy Rogers' house-ground hamburgers are considered the ultimate burgers in the Bay Area.

2 1/2 pounds good quality boneless beef chuck roast

Cut the meat into long strips. Sprinkle with the salt, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Using a meat grinder or a food processor, grind meat to desired consistency. Handling the meat as little as possible, form into patties.

Using either a grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat, cook the patties to desired doneness, turning once.

PER PATTY: 555 calories, 42 g protein, 0 carbohydrate, 42 g fat (19 g saturated), 154 mg cholesterol, 824 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

Ragus are Italian meat sauces that are slowly-slowly simmered, allowing the tough cuts of meat used to become tender, and sinews to dissolve and thicken and bind the sauce. There are as many versions of ragu as there are cooks, but to my taste, home-ground meat makes a ragu with superior flavor and texture. It takes only a few minutes to chop the meat using a food processor, and the sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, or it can be frozen for longer storage. Serve this ragu with pasta -- something with curly or ribbed edges for the meat to cling to -- or with polenta. The recipe can be easily doubled.

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

5 large, very ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped; or 1 cup Italian-style canned tomatoes, chopped, with their juice

1 teaspoon butter, optional (see Note)

Before beginning, see grinding tips on this page.

Working in batches, process the meat in a food processor, pulsing just a few seconds each time, until the meat is coarsely ground, but clumpy. Do not over-process.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan set over high heat. When it is hot, add some of the clumps of meat. Do not crowd the pan; do not try to separate the clumps. Clumping is good. Brown them well, about 2 to 3 minutes, then turn and brown on the other side, sprinkling them with a little of the salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, remove the clumps to a bowl and repeat until all the meat has been browned.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the carrot, onion and garlic; saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to high and add the wine, scraping up any clinging bits. Add the meat and half of the parsley, sage and thyme. Cook until the wine is almost gone, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and half of the beef broth, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to a thick sauce and the meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. If evaporation occurs too quickly, and this will depend upon the kinds of tomatoes used, add a little more of the beef broth. Just before serving, stir in the remaining herbs.

Note: If you have cooked pasta to go with the sauce, stir in a couple tablespoons of the cooking water. If not, stir in a teaspoon of butter.

PER 1/2 CUP: 340 calories, 23 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat (9 g saturated), 77 mg cholesterol, 257 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

This recipe is from my friend Larry Justus, a former butcher and lover of good food. Be sure to fry up a bit of the raw sausage meat in order to check the seasonings, and feel free to adjust seasonings to your taste.

5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1-inch cubes

10 to 15 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup minced fresh sage leaves

1/4 cup minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Before beginning, see sidebar on grinding tips, page F4.

Fit an electric or hand-operated meat grinder with the coarse-grind plate. Grind the meat. Remove the plate and clean it and the auger well, removing any sinew or other bits. Put the meat in a bowl, then add the salt, garlic, sage, rosemary, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Mix well with your hands. Fit the grinder with the medium-grind plate. Grind the seasoned meat mixture. Remove the plate and clean it, the blade and the auger well.

Take about a tablespoon of the meat and make a flat patty. Fry it until browned, then turn and fry the other side. Taste for seasonings, adding ingredients to your taste. Mix in any additional ingredients by hand.

You can also use a food processor to make the sausage, pulsing to a medium grind.

The sausage will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, but it is best to freeze any you will not be using immediately.

Divide the mixture into 1-pound portions and put in heavy-duty freezer bags. Label and freeze for up to 6 months. If you want to form patties to freeze, shape them and pack them between layers of waxed paper and put in freezer bags.

One pound of sausage mixture yields about six 4-inch diameter sausage patties.

PER PATTY: 165 calories, 14 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat (4 g saturated), 50 mg cholesterol, 679 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

Veal is a fine white meat and takes well to this delicate treatment. These can be served on their own, with steamed spinach and a salad, or served over pasta or rice.

1 1/3 pounds boneless veal shoulder meat, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed, dried and minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

Using a food processor or a meat grinder, grind or pulse the veal to a medium grind. (See sidebar on grinding, page F4).

Combine the meat, capers, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, salt, pepper and paprika. Mix well with a fork and then your hands. Shape into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Continue until all the meat is used. Yields about 8 meatballs.

Combine the broth, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Using a large spoon, gently slide the meatballs one by one into the simmering broth. Cook, turning from time to time, until the balls are firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Using the spoon again, remove the meatballs to a platter. Strain the broth then put it in a clean saucepan and reduce over high heat until approximately 1 cup remains. This should take about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining zest and the parsley and pour over the meatballs.

PER SERVING: 275 calories, 34 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat (5 g saturated), 178 mg cholesterol, 517 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

Chile Verde is usually made with chunks of pork, but I like this ground version, which is more like a very thick sauce than a stew. The tomatillos cook down and disappear, thickening the sauce and giving it that faint citrus background flavor. I use it as both a filling for burritos and as green sauce for huevos rancheros. I serve it with the cheese alongside and a romaine salad dressed with a vinaigrette and topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork butt or pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

6 fresh tomatillos, papery covering removed, flesh coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup crumbled queso fresco or grated Monterrey Jack cheese

See sidebar on tips for grinding, page F4.

Preheat the broiler. Broil the poblanos about 4 inches from the heat source until the skin blackens, about 4 minutes. Turn and blacken the other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chiles to plastic bag and let steam for 10 to 15 minutes, then, using your fingers, slip off the skins. Remove the seeds. Remove any clinging bits of charred skin or seeds with a paper towel. (Rinsing will remove the delicious charred flavor.) Cut the chiles lengthwise into 1/4- inch-wide strips. Set aside.

Using a food processor, pulse the pork just to a coarse texture. It should be ground, but still "clumpy."

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat, leaving it clumpy. Do not crowd the meat or it will steam instead of brown. If necessary, work in batches. When the meat is browned, about 3 to 4 minutes, turn and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a bowl.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomatillos and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and water, and stir, scraping up any clinging bits. Return the meat to the pan; add the salt, pepper, cayenne, half of the oregano, the poblanos and the jalapenos. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Check from time to time, and if the stew looks too dry, add more water or chicken broth.

Taste for seasonings, adding more salt if desired. May be made up to this point a day or two in advance. Keep refrigerated.

When ready to serve, reheat the Chile Verde, add the remaining oregano and the chopped cilantro.

Serve accompanied by warm tortillas and pass the cheese at the table.

PER SERVING: 550 calories, 41 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 38 g fat (15 g saturated), 139 mg cholesterol, 537 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.