A simple cooking hack could help make cheap mince more tender and juicy, and it only requires one ingredient you likely already have at home: baking soda. The trick, shared by America's Test Kitchen, involves mixing a quarter teaspoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of water and working it through about one pound of mince.
The science behind the trick
Baking soda raises the pH of the meat, which alters the charge in the muscle filaments so that they repel each other. As a result, they can't contract as easily and squeeze out their water, so the meat holds onto moisture better, making it more tender and juicy. The higher pH also promotes superior browning, which creates greater depth of flavour.
How to apply the trick
Dissolving the baking soda in water first ensures even distribution. The mixture should sit for 15 minutes for the full benefit, but it starts working after five minutes, after which you can continue your recipe as normal. America's Test Kitchen has used this trick with ground beef, chilli, turkey burgers, pork meatballs, shepherd's pie, and stir-fries.
This one easy step makes a delicious difference, according to the cook in the TikTok clip.
