Ground beef is super-versatile and can easily become the star of many dishes. From nachos to juicy grilled burgers to the perfect shepherd’s pie, ground beef can be used in many ways to create a satiating, high-protein, delicious meal. Properly preparing your ground beef before you move onto cooking and seasoning can set you up for kitchen success.
The key to perfectly browned ground beef may surprise you: It’s baking soda. Adding a few pinches of this kitchen staple to ground beef actually increases the pH of the meat, making the proteins stick to one another less easily and not push out all of the moisture while cooking. The result? The beef is tender and juicy, and with the higher acidity levels on its exterior, you end up with a perfectly-browned pan of ground beef to add to your favorite recipe.
Here is how to implement this hack: 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. If you like the way baking soda easily adds this deep brown touch to your ground beef, you’ll likely also love the effect of dusting a bit of baking soda on steak, chicken, and pork before cooking.
More ground beef tips to elevate your meal
After you’ve got the baking soda hack down, there are plenty of other tricks you can use to keep taking your ground beef to the next level. When you’re at the grocery store selecting ground beef, it’s important to choose the fat content that makes the most sense for the dish you’re going to prepare (you can also grind and chill the burger meat yourself at home to create your perfect fat ratio).
More fat means more flavor, but if you add too much fat, you run the risk of greasy food. For most dishes, an 80/20 ratio is a good start, especially if you’re creating one that allows you to drain ground beef prior to adding it to other ingredients, or if you’re going to be using a grill. For meatloaf, meatballs, and other ground beef recipes that don’t lend themselves to draining, you may prefer to go with 85/15 ground beef.
Properly seasoning your ground beef is vital for pulling out the best flavors possible. If you’re cooking ground beef into patties or meatballs, season after you’ve formed the meat into the desired shape. If you’re cooking crumbles, season as you go, tasting along the way to make sure you’re headed in the right direction. You can’t go wrong with a classic salt and pepper combo (adding celery salt to your burger meat can offer a new twist without an overpowering flavor). If you’d like some smoke and heat, try smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes, while oregano and basil can give your meat an Italian twist. With your ground beef nice and browned from the addition of baking soda, these extra details will make for one incredible meal.
