For those of us who inherited this culinary ‘open secret’, it’s second nature… But I still run into new cooks who are not in on it. Let’s remedy that oversight right now, by explaining how milk makes ground meat dishes moister…
For me, the ‘secret’ goes back at least as far as my Mom’s maternal grandmother… For others, maybe not so far. But it’s just as true – and foolproof – as it was 150 years (or more) ago…
A dynamic duo
The principle behind the milk ‘secret’ boils down to simple chemistry. How often have you seen both milk and bread crumbs in an ingredients list for meat patties, meat balls, croquettes or meat loaf?
They’re inseparable partners in your quest for the moistest, most tender, juicy ground meat dishes you’ll ever make.
Simple chemistry
By themselves, ground meats – particularly fatty ones such as pork and beef – tend to break apart when you try to cook them. The fat renders down, running out of the meat mass into the pan, leaving cracks that always ‘let go’. The flavourful juices also run out, leaving a bland product. And your pat-ties fall apart. The best you can hope for is a mass of ‘scramble’ with a few larger lumps of fused meat.
But if you simply add 1/2 cup / 125 ml of fine bread crumbs, soaked in the same volume of milk, per 1 lb. / 454 g of ground meat you’ll produce a completely different, elegant, tender, juicy, altogether superior product.
Side benefits
The milk and bread crumbs don’t add any potentially unwanted or non-complementary flavours to your dishes. Nor do they add unwanted excess non-meat bulk, which might suggest to diners that you ‘extended the meat with ‘fillers’.
The milk and crumbs will produce a nice, fine-textured meat mass, with a smoother, more profes-sional-looking appearance.
Additional suggestions…
Start with leaner ground meats so as to reduce the amount of fat you’ll have to deal with overall.
Add an egg to the milk and crumbs if you’re using an ultra-lean meat such as chicken breast or veal. That will amplify the binding action while remaining flavour-neutral, and minimizing added bulk. Just reduce the amount of milk you use, to ensure the meat mixture isn’t too loose…
My take
If you haven’t been making your own ground meat dishes because they don’t hold together or come out dry… Try the ancient, tried-and-true milk-and-bread crumbs method. It could literally change your culinary life!
~ Maggie J.