What it means
چرخ گوشت (charkh-gusht) means “meat grinder” or “mincer,” the kitchen device used to grind raw meat. It is a pure Persian compound: چرخ (charkh) means “wheel” or “rotating mechanism,” and گوشت (gusht) means “meat.” Together, the compound literally means “the meat wheel” or “the thing that turns the meat.” By extension, گوشت چرخکرده (gusht-e charkh-karde) means “minced meat” or “ground meat,” the product of the machine.
How to use it
- چرخ گوشت رو بیار، کوفته درست میکنیم. (charkh gusht ro biâr, kufteh dorost mikonim.) “Bring the meat grinder, we are making koofteh.”
- گوشت رو از چرخ گوشت رد کردم. (gusht ro az charkh-gusht rad kardam.) “I ran the meat through the grinder.”
- چرخ گوشت برقی داریم یا دستی؟ (charkh-gusht-e barqi dârim yâ dasti?) “Do we have an electric grinder or a manual one?”
- چرخ گوشت رو بعد از استفاده بشور. (charkh-gusht ro ba’d az estefâde beshur.) “Wash the meat grinder after using it.”
Cultural note
The charkh-gusht is essential to Iranian home cooking because a wide range of beloved dishes, including koofteh, kabab-e koobideh, and various stuffed vegetables, require freshly minced meat. Many Iranian cooks prefer to grind meat at home for better texture and freshness. The butcher’s charkh-gusht in the bazaar is also a familiar sight, where customers buy cuts and have them ground on the spot to their specification.