Transform your spaghetti Bolognese: secret to prevent ground meat from watering down your dish
Ground meat releasing water while frying is a widespread occurrence that remains somewhat mysterious for many people. There are plenty of complex and obscure conspiracy theories on this topic all over the internet. The most popular theory is that producers, to increase the weight of the meat, inject water into it at the production plant. But is this actually true? Or is the release of liquid during frying a natural phenomenon?
12:12 PM EST, January 9, 2024
Why is ground meat releasing water?
To understand why water appears in the pan while frying ground meat, it's essential to know that lean meat naturally consists of about 70 percent water inside of itself. This is not some mischief by meat producers. In other words, the release of water is not due to any manipulation by the producers. So, what's genuinely happening in the pan?
When ground meat undergoes heat treatment, the process of protein degradation starts to occur. The water, previously entrapped within the structure, discharges flooding the pan, and the meat not only dries to a crisp but also boils in the juice of its own instead of frying. The result is not very appealing. Therefore, it's crucial to prevent its occurrence.
Preventing water release from ground meat
Once again, we can observe that even the simplest culinary tasks require a minimum level of knowledge to accomplish them successfully. Such knowledge significantly helps to improve the quality of our cooking. Putting in bay leaves in the broth and removing them at the right moment can make so much difference. The same transformative effect can be achieved by treating ground meat with a minor amount of... baking soda.
Baking soda, an alkaline compound, alters the structure of proteins and obstructs their degradation. As a consequence, the water remains in the meat, leading to a juicy, delicious outcome. The recommended quantity of this rising agent is 1/3 teaspoon for each 1.1 pounds of ground meat.
Along with the baking soda tip, it's also important to maintain the right temperature of the fat in the pan during the entire frying process. For this reason, it's a good idea to fry the ground meat in batches, as adding too much at once will decrease the oil temperature. Lastly, remember to season the meat with salt just prior to finishing. That's it — yet this minor adjustment can positively transform your dish!
