As a busy home cook, I’m always looking for little tricks to make weeknight dinner prep easier. One of my recent discoveries is using baking soda to tenderize meat. This kitchen staple works wonders on tougher, cheaper cuts of pork, helping them become fall-off-the-bone tender with less effort on my part.
In this article, I’ll share how and why baking soda tenderizes pork, as well as easy methods for brining pork with baking soda. Whether you’re cooking up pork chops, roasts, or ribs, baking soda is a miracle tenderizer that makes budget-friendly pork taste succulent and delicious. Keep reading to get the scoop on this magical meat hack!
Why Use Baking Soda to Tenderize Pork?
Pork tenderloin and chops can be pricey. Roasts and ribs take hours of slow cooking to become tender. This is where baking soda comes in – it helps break down the tough muscle fibers in cheaper cuts of pork through a simple chemical reaction.
When baking soda is rubbed on or soaked into the meat it raises the pH level on the surface. This makes it harder for the proteins to bond too tightly. With the protein bonds relaxed rather than rigid and tense the pork stays tender and juicy even after cooking instead of becoming tough and chewy.
The effect happens rapidly – meat soaked for just 15-20 minutes in a baking soda brine emerges noticeably more tender. And unlike heavily salted brines, baking soda doesn’t overwhelm the natural flavor of the pork or make it retain too much water. It simply relaxes the structure of the meat so it’s silky and luscious when cooked
How to Use Baking Soda for Tender Pork Chops
For quick weeknight pork chops, a baking soda velvet method is ideal It takes just 15 minutes but makes the pork chops much more tender and juicy
Here’s how to do it:
-
In a shallow dish, stir together 1 tsp baking soda with 1/2 cup water until dissolved.
-
Add your pork chops and let them soak for 15 minutes, flipping halfway.
-
Remove chops from the mixture and pat dry. Discard velvet solution.
-
Cook the chops as desired – they’ll emerge tender and succulent!
The velvet method also works great for thin pork cutlets destined for the grill or a quick skillet meal. Just reduce brine time to 5-10 minutes.
Baking Soda Brine for Tender Pork Roasts
For larger cuts like pork shoulder roasts or fresh hams, a baking soda brine ensures tender, juicy results. There are two easy methods – a quick soak or an overnight brine.
Quick Soak Method
-
In a bowl, stir 1 Tbsp baking soda into 1 quart cool water until dissolved.
-
Submerge roast in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
-
Remove roast, rinse off brine, pat dry and cook as desired. The meat will be noticeably more tender!
Overnight Brine
-
In a large bowl or food storage container, stir together 1 tsp baking soda per lb of meat with enough cool water to cover the roast.
-
Submerge the roast in the brine, cover, and refrigerate 8-12 hours.
-
Remove roast, rinse off brine, pat dry and cook as desired for super tender results.
How to Use Baking Soda for Tender Ribs
Fall-off-the-bone tender ribs seem like the stuff of dreams when you’re working with cheap spare ribs or country-style ribs. But baking soda can make this dream a reality!
For ribs, an overnight baking soda dry brine is ideal. Here’s how to do it:
-
The night before cooking, place ribs in a baking dish. Sprinkle all over with 1% of the ribs’ weight in baking soda. (For 3 lbs of ribs, use 1 Tbsp baking soda).
-
Rub the baking soda all over the ribs until thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate 8-12 hours.
-
Right before cooking, rinse off the baking soda and pat the ribs dry.
-
Cook as desired – the ribs will be delectably tender and juicy!
Why Baking Soda Beats Salt for Tenderizing Pork
You may be wondering – if baking soda relaxes protein bonds, won’t heavily salting my pork do the same thing? While salt does help break down muscle fibers, it has some downsides:
-
Overly salty flavor – salt brines make the pork taste salty versus enhancing its natural flavor. Baking soda doesn’t affect taste.
-
Mushy texture – salt causes pork to retain a lot of water, yielding a spongy texture. Baking soda doesn’t drastically change moisture content.
-
Longer brining time – a salt brine takes 8-24 hours to work. Baking soda brines tenderize in as little as 1 hour.
For naturally tender and juicy pork without unwelcome saltiness or sponginess, baking soda is the clear winner.
More Handy Uses for Baking Soda with Pork
Beyond brining, baking soda has a couple other uses for boosting pork’s flavor and texture:
-
Rubbing pork ribs with baking soda can help them get beautifully browned and caramelized on the grill.
-
Folding a bit of baking soda into ground pork for burgers or meatballs keeps them extra moist and prevents them from getting dense and dry when cooked.
-
Stirring a pinch of baking soda into the poaching liquid for pork dumplings gives them a slippery, silky texture.
Don’t limit baking soda just to tenderizing – experiment with it to enhance pork’s flavor and juiciness whenever you cook it!
Frequently Asked Questions About Baking Soda and Pork
How much baking soda do I use per pound of pork?
-
For velveting thin cuts like chops, use 1 tsp baking soda for every 1 lb of meat.
-
For brining roasts and ribs, use 1 tsp baking soda per 1 lb of meat.
Does baking soda make pork mushy?
It shouldn’t if used properly! For thin cuts, limit velveting time to 15 minutes max. For roasts and ribs, brine only as long as needed for tenderness – 1-2 hours for a quick brine or 8-12 hours for an overnight brine. Avoid oversoaking pork in baking soda to prevent mushiness.
Can I reuse baking soda brine?
Nope! The baking soda fully expends itself tenderizing the meat, so recycled brine won’t have the same effect. Make a fresh brine each time for best results.
What cuts of pork work best with baking soda?
Baking soda works wonders on tougher, cheaper pork cuts: shoulder roasts, fresh ham, spare ribs, country-style ribs, shoulder chops, butt roasts. It helps transform them into succulent, fork-tender masterpieces!
Can I use baking soda for pulled pork?
Absolutely! Soak your pork shoulder 8-12 hours in a baking soda brine before cooking low and slow for pulled pork. The brine will guarantee tender, juicy shredded meat.
Become a Baking Soda Brining Pro!
Get ready to enjoy fabulously tender pork roasts, chops, and ribs all week long. Baking soda brining lets you transform even the cheapest pork into a succulent, restaurant-quality feast. Now that you know this secret, you’ll never suffer through another chewy, dried-out pork meal again. Happy brining!