Minced beef is a versatile ingredient that can be used for a plethora of comforting dishes. Whether you’re making burgers for the barbecue, bolognese to lasagne, or a hearty pie, mince can be used for just about anything.
However there’s one additional ingredient that can help the meat keep its flavour and juiciness without running the risk of drying out when cooking. The food experts at Chowhound argued that the key to browning the meat may be unconventional, but it’s the ingredient for “kitchen success”. All you need to do is add some baking soda to the pot.
Adding baking soda to the cooking process will help increase the pH of the meat, making the proteins stick to one another less easily and not push out all of the moisture while cooking. Ultimately resulting in a much tender beef mince.
Chowhound instructed: “Mix the baking soda (about half a teaspoon per pound of ground beef) with a small amount of water before mixing it into the meat.
“After you’ve fully combined the baking soda/water mixture with the ground beef, let it sit for at least 15 minutes before you add it to your hot pan.”
The food hack also has the support of top UK chef Tom Kerridge. During an appearance on ITV’s This Morning earlier this year, Tom recommended using baking soda when making burgers to help keep them juicy.
This Morning host Ben Shephard said to Tom: “Josh says, ‘How can I get my meat to not stick to the grill? Sometimes the burgers get stuck and then they rip apart, so it’s quite frustrating.’”
He said: “But also in your burger mix, if you’re making the burgers yourself, put a little pinch of bicarbonate soda.
“And as you mix it together, bicarbonate soda helps to bind the proteins in the meat, which means that when you come to move it, it sticks and the burger stays in one piece.”
Experts at The Kitchn explained that bicarbonate of soda acts as a tenderiser for minced meat, especially beef. By adding it to your patty mixture, it keeps the meat moist during cooking.