Don't think I've ever heard this tip...soaking meat in heavy cream

Not marinating but I was taught (when I was doing business in Italy) that adding milk or cream to your bolognese sauce makes it better and it really does.

Pete_Coach wrote: ↑ Not marinating but I was taught (when I was doing business in Italy) that adding milk or cream to your bolognese sauce makes it better and it really does.

Self censoring so admins don't have to

Oohh... no wonder it taste so good when i use bread soaked in cream as a meat ball filler.

KevinM56081 wrote: ↑ Cream. Bacon. Same principle. Not much that is hurt by either!

Ground beef soaked in bacon??? No, not same principal at all.
The bolognese with the added cream or milk makes a big difference in taste.

Pete_Coach wrote: ↑ Ground beef soaked in bacon??? No, not same principal at all.
The bolognese with the added cream or milk makes a big difference in taste.

*

he is saying adding cream, or bacon, or butter even makes everything better!...what do you mean not the same principle?

*

Pete_Coach wrote: ↑
Ground beef soaked in bacon??? No, not same principal at all.
The bolognese with the added cream or milk makes a big difference in taste.

cardguy wrote: ↑ *
he is saying adding cream, or bacon, or butter even makes everything better!...what do you mean not the same principle?
*

Nooo there is a very important distinction.

In cooking... everything comes together and interact with each other. Yes in the outside it may just seem like smushing stuff together to make it taste good. But everything has an interaction that can make a dish good or bad.

-salt
-heat
-fat
-acid

If you mix ground beef and bacon together... what do you do? Youre mixing meat + fat.
How does this interaction work?

Fat + salt.

1. The fat increases the moisture content.

2. The salt increases the saltiness.. or rather it opens up your taste buds, and creates contrast with the different flavors of the dish.

3. Smoke. Additionally bacon is smoked. Smoked food as its own enzymes. When food is smoked it goes through reactions that change its enzymes and proteins! Try eating a slice of salted fried pork belly. Then eat a slice of fried bacon. The second would be perceived to be more savoury and addictive because of the smoking + extra salt.



Add ground beef + butter?
You’ll get a running oily mess.

However... cream + ground beef.

Thats where the ACID comes into play. Acid a very valuable tool in cooking. It can used to neutralize flavours, improve flavours, whet the appetite, increase savouriness, and TENDERIZE!

acid breaks down meat proteins, and in this case. The lactic acid is meant to tenderize the ground beef and create a more delicate texture.

Adding bacon or butter into ground beef won’t do any of that. It would add moisture and far. But won’t break down protein fibres to create a more delicate texture.
The cream also adds moisture.

What OP & pete coach are getting at... is to explore the relation of an acidic fatty component (cream) when used as an ingredient.

Have you heard of Milk Fed veal:? they apparently soak the veal cutlets in milk overnight then cook/fry them and it tastes SOO GOOD

GoodFellaz wrote: ↑ Have you heard of Milk Fed veal:? they apparently soak the veal cutlets in milk overnight then cook/fry them and it tastes SOO GOOD

"The term milk-fed veal – sometimes referred to as special-fed or formula-fed – is a USDA classification that describes veal calves derived from the dairy industry and fed a special milk formula or milk replacer that is rich in nutrients." not soaking it in milk overnight.
http://www.americanveal.com/new-questio ... k-fed-veal

USDA classification you say? guess they don't know people north of the border are doing it too? and it can mean something different up here. I know people who have soaked their veal in milk or cream, maybe its a different name up here but it does make the meat more tender.

GoodFellaz wrote: ↑ USDA classification you say? guess they don't know people north of the border are doing it too? and it can mean something different up here. I know people who have soaked their veal in milk or cream, maybe its a different name up here but it does make the meat more tender.

*

Soaking any meat in anything is called marinating...not fed. Pretty difficult to feed a veal shank or chop LOL
"There are two types of veal produced in Ontario: milk fed and grain fed veal. Milk fed veal calves are raised on a balanced diet containing all the necessary nutrients for animal health. As a result of this milk based diet, the meat is light pink in colour and possesses a mild taste and a soft texture." http://ontarioveal.on.ca/all-about-veal ... bout-veal/

*

The reality of this conversation is the explore specifically how the acid in cream interacts with meat.

Not various fillers and additives that can be used to enhance ground meat dishes. So it isnt wrong to add salt + fat to ground meat. Very popular and delicious method. But here we explore the acidic reaction from dairy. Thats all.

Soaking wild meat in milk reduces the 'gamey' flavour. My dad used to soak grouse in milk and my husband always soaks liver. I dont eat either so cant comment on what it actually does.

GoodFellaz wrote: ↑ USDA classification you say? guess they don't know people north of the border are doing it too? and it can mean something different up here. I know people who have soaked their veal in milk or cream, maybe its a different name up here but it does make the meat more tender.

North of the border "milk fed veal" is a bunch of guys with 36" waists in an office cubicle farm drinking Timmy's double-doubles until they are well marbled.

Otherwise, in food & agriculture, Pete has it right. Traditionally young calves were kept penned so they did not become muscular & were fed milk to promote a light, delicate, well-marbled meat. There was a lot of outrage over the close-penning practices used in the past and the product fell out of favour, but there is a Quebec outfit using much more humane standards that is producing it again called Famille Fontaine. You may have seen their vibrant purple packaging in stores https://famillefontaine.ca/en/

gr8dlr wrote: ↑ https://skillet.lifehacker.com/soak-you ... 1846145398

I've marinaded chicken with yogurt/buttermilk but never thought do other meats.

The advantage of heavy cream here is that it can be brought to simmering temps without breaking & becoming curdy. That is the same reason why you want to do a chowder with mostly broth and a cup of heavy cream rather than say 4 cups of milk. The cream version will remain silken as a chowder is repeatedly chilled & then brought to temp again over days & thickened & reduced until the last of the pot is irresistible.

A lot of chicken/poultry recipes that use yogurt or buttermilk are baked or fried so you are not confronted with how broken & curdy the stuff can get. With ground beef, you want to cook it fully which means you will take it to a temp that breaks the other stuff. (Curries usually add yogurt as the last step so the yogurt is spared simmering temps).

Whipping cream is a staple in cream sauces in French cooking. In London Broil, you can take crummy round, score & marinate it as is standard & grill, then combine the marinade & a bit of flour/fat & heavy cream to make an accompanying gravy OR you can add the heavy cream to the marinade to tenderize the relatively tough meat, then proceed with the flour roux & marinade containing cream. You end up with the same gravy but you also take the opportunity to tenderize the round with the cream. (You need to use a bit extra cream to make up for the marinade losses).