Baking soda helps ground meat to soften and brown?

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Well, I thinkk your "expert" is wrong. It is true according to many, many sources, including ATK (America's Test Kitchen) being one of them that does.
Uses for Baking Soda this link should take you to the article on it. (I hope it works for you, it may not as it is a paid subscription.)
 
i'm just saying that he wrote a bestseller book in hebrew about the science behind good cooking.. but he is probably wrong..
 
ive read that yes
but some food 'expert' in israel said that it isnt true.

what do u know?
tnx

Well, I thinkk your "expert" is wrong. It is true according to many, many sources, including ATK (America's Test Kitchen) being one of them that does.
Uses for Baking Soda this link should take you to the article on it. (I hope it works for you, it may not as it is a paid subscription.)

He's wrong. Its a common technique

But I can taste the baking soda and its yuck

I saw it on ATK or CC also and have done it a few times when I remember. It does help meat to brown, retain liquid and be more tender. The problem is remembering to do it in time for it to sit 20 minutes. I've never tasted the baking soda but I always use it when I'm making something like loose meat sandwiches or hamburger stroganoff or the like that a lot of other stuff goes in as well.

I jotted down the recipe in the note file on my phone when I saw it on TV.

1 pound g beef
3/4 tsp salt
3/8 baking soda

Mix, sit for 20 mins.
 
i'm just saying that he wrote a bestseller book in hebrew about the science behind good cooking.. but he is probably wrong..
And just because it is a bestseller does not mean he is right. Because actually the 'science' behind it is very sound.

We have an expression "take it with a grain of salt" - meaning everything is not always "exactly" as it is being said or meant.
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Yeah, I get it, sometimes opinions differ on this stuff. But let's break it down in detail. Baking soda can actually help tenderize ground meat and improve browning
 
He's wrong. Its a common technique

But I can taste the baking soda and its yuck
me too can taste the baking soda but in moderation it is not as bad for me..

here is the book i'm talking about. there are two editions.
you can use a translation tool if you wish to read.......

if you wish i can link you to where he told what he told about the baking soda..
 
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It’s a technique that has been used for many generations in Asian food too. Being that many people had to use an animal from head to tail in countless global cultures, things like salting, pickling tenderising and curing have popped up everywhere over centuries.
You might be surprised to learn that many historians and archaeologists believe that the process of mummification was developed from techniques that ancient humans learned from preserving their foods.
 
I discovered long ago that any baked goods that didn't include baking soda with the baking powder were extremely pale when they were done baking, so I always add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to the recipe. And when I baked something in my Amoretti Test Kitchen videos I always emphasized that the baking powder was to make it rise and baking soda was to aid in browning.
 
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I discovered long ago that any baked goods that didn't include baking soda with the baking powder were extremely pale when they were done baking, so I always add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to the recipe. And when I baked something in my Amoretti Test Kitchen videos I always emphasized that the baking powder was to make it rise and baking soda was to aid in browning.
Totally of the subject. I never use baking powder, I always use baking soda with a splash of vinegar. Works like a charm.
 

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