Author Topic: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat  (Read 2215 times)

Ben

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Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« on: January 22, 2021, 07:51:10 PM »
This is a new one on me. I might try it one time when I'm just making a small quantity to see if there is really a difference.

https://skillet.lifehacker.com/you-should-add-baking-soda-to-your-ground-meat-1846103865
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K Frame

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2021, 08:01:53 AM »
Well crap, I'm going to give this a try today when I make my Beef Boogaloo...
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Ben

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2021, 08:07:11 AM »
Well crap, I'm going to give this a try today when I make my Beef Boogaloo...

Please report on the results.
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K Frame

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2021, 08:12:22 AM »
I'll report tomorrow. I've decided that I'm going to make this tomorrow so I have the left overs for into next week....
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RocketMan

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2021, 08:39:00 AM »
I saw the same article a few days ago.   It's an interesting idea, and I'll give it a go the next time I make up some taco meat.
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K Frame

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2021, 09:09:03 AM »
Well, can't report.

Because... I didn't realize that I was out of baking soda.

Crap.
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Ben

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2021, 09:13:35 AM »
I saw the same article a few days ago.   It's an interesting idea, and I'll give it a go the next time I make up some taco meat.

Oh man, I haven't made tacos at home for a long time. Maybe I'll get the fixins and then try this myself later this week.
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TechMan

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2021, 01:49:51 PM »
I just tried this and wow is it good!  The ground beef is moist and flavorful.  I did up a little over 2.25 lbs of 80/20 ground beef.  I did the wet mixture 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed in a little over 2 tablespoons of water and then poured over the ground beef.  I then mixed the ground beef with my hands to distribute the mix.


I’ll try the dry way the next time.
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Ben

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2021, 02:52:02 PM »
I just tried this and wow is it good!  The ground beef is moist and flavorful.  I did up a little over 2.25 lbs of 80/20 ground beef.  I did the wet mixture 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed in a little over 2 tablespoons of water and then poured over the ground beef.  I then mixed the ground beef with my hands to distribute the mix.


I’ll try the dry way the next time.

Thanks for being our Guinea pig!

I'll try it for sure now that you're apparently still alive.  =D
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zxcvbob

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2021, 04:51:48 PM »
I cooked a pound of 81% lean hamburger last night.  It was still frozen a little in the center and I crowded the pan, so I set it up for failure.  =)  I sprinkled a heaping 1/4 tsp of baking soda on the meat and mixed it in a little, then let it sit for about 5 or 10 minutes before I cooked it.  When I fried it up, a little more fat seemed to render out and a lot less water.  I didn't really brown it much, just ate some on a burrito.  But I could have browned it w/o having to boil off a bunch of water first.  It tastes fine.

Today I finished browning the leftovers with a chopped onion, and made a little pot of chili.  (it's still cooking)  It did seem to brown more easily.  There's a little bit of bitterness that I can't explain and don't like, but that might be from the dried peppers I used, or the onion.  I think it will cook out or I can cover it up.

Overall I would say it was a success, but that bitter taste bothers me (it wasn't there last night) so I still have some reservations but it probably wasn't from the soda.
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MillCreek

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2021, 04:59:54 PM »
The former analytical chemist here chimes in that sodium bicarbonate is a base, and bases have bitter tastes.  This may be a function of using too much or that it was not adequately mixed in.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2021, 05:57:36 PM »
Perhaps that was it.  I was concerned it would saponify the fat and taste soapy.  (didn't happen)  It's not the best chili I've ever made but the off taste disappeared after I cooked it a little longer.
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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2021, 07:23:10 PM »
I think the ratio of baking soda to hamburger is critical as is the 15 minutes of rest.
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K Frame

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2021, 10:23:09 AM »
I'm really interested in seeing how it works with ground turkey, which is, by a wide margin, what I use the most of at home.
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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2021, 10:28:02 AM »
I think the ratio of baking soda to hamburger is critical as is the 15 minutes of rest.

I had the ratio about right but I cut the rest a bit short.  It still seemed to work. =) 
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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2021, 10:59:11 AM »
I'm really interested in seeing how it works with ground turkey, which is, by a wide margin, what I use the most of at home.

I will be doing ground turkey in a couple of weeks, for the kids' lunches, I'm going to try it then.
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Ron

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #16 on: January 25, 2021, 07:25:55 PM »
Made tacos.

Worked surprisingly well.

There was still some liquid when finished, the cooked 85/15 wasn't nearly as wet and soupy as normal though. Definitely better browning.

It might be my imagination but I think there might be an aftertaste change I'm experiencing after eating. Nothing unpleasant mind you, just maybe a result of the baking soda.

I might knock the amount used down a touch and see how it works.
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TechMan

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #17 on: January 25, 2021, 09:17:27 PM »
Made tacos.

Worked surprisingly well.

There was still some liquid when finished, the cooked 85/15 wasn't nearly as wet and soupy as normal though. Definitely better browning.

It might be my imagination but I think there might be an aftertaste change I'm experiencing after eating. Nothing unpleasant mind you, just maybe a result of the baking soda.

I might knock the amount used down a touch and see how it works.

I did notice a little after taste and it probably is from the baking soda.  I am going to error on less than more in this case.
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Hawkmoon - Never underestimate another person's capacity for stupidity. Any time you think someone can't possibly be that dumb ... they'll prove you wrong.

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Bad decisions make good stories.

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K Frame

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Re: Add Baking Soda to Your Ground Meat
« Reply #18 on: February 01, 2021, 10:07:38 AM »
I tried this with the pork loin that I cubed up for my chili. I had about 2 pounds, so I added a scant quarter teaspoon of baking soda. I kept stirring it in over the next 30 minutes or so (it was still kind of frozen when I cubed it) to make sure that I got the baking soda as distributed as possible.

Not sure that I really noticed any different.
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