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The Secret to the Silkiest Queso? Sodium Citrate
I just heard of this for the first time on the latest episode of No Such Thing as a Fish.
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/sodium-citrate#
The Secret to the Silkiest Queso? Sodium Citrate
Yes, you can order it online (and use it for all sorts of cheesy recipes).
By Sam Stone
February 20, 2023
In the Bon Appétit test kitchen, one of our favorite challenges is translating famous restaurant dishes into home cook–friendly recipes. That’s how associate food editor Kendra Vaculin found herself tasked with testing the queso fundido from New York City restaurant Yellow Rose. But one ingredient gave her pause: sodium citrate.
Owners Dave and Krystiana Rizo swear by it to get the creamiest, silkiest queso. But, assuming most home cooks don’t have sodium citrate lying around, there had to be an equally good option, right? Vaculin was sure she could find a workaround.
She tried a few different techniques to get an even and emulsified cheese-melt. Evaporated milk alongside baking soda and lemon juice would purportedly result in a velvety queso. But, after tinkering with the ratios, Vaculin conceded that it just wasn’t right. “It works to a point,” she said, “but the queso definitely got more clumpy as it sat.” In the end, the magic of sodium citrate simply couldn’t be replicated. Here’s why:
Usually, when cheese melts, the fat and proteins begin to separate, but sodium citrate “binds them together so that when they melt, they do it evenly and homogeneously,” Vaculin explains. Keeping the mixture homogenized ensures that this queso fundido can stand the test of time. As Vaculin discovered in her testing, there really is no substitute for sodium citrate in this recipe. “The amazing thing about the sodium citrate version was that it stayed beautiful and viscous even as it sat on the pass for hours, which was kind of amazing and really sold us on ‘Okay, this is worth it.’”
[...]
Yes, you can order it online (and use it for all sorts of cheesy recipes).
By Sam Stone
February 20, 2023
In the Bon Appétit test kitchen, one of our favorite challenges is translating famous restaurant dishes into home cook–friendly recipes. That’s how associate food editor Kendra Vaculin found herself tasked with testing the queso fundido from New York City restaurant Yellow Rose. But one ingredient gave her pause: sodium citrate.
Owners Dave and Krystiana Rizo swear by it to get the creamiest, silkiest queso. But, assuming most home cooks don’t have sodium citrate lying around, there had to be an equally good option, right? Vaculin was sure she could find a workaround.
She tried a few different techniques to get an even and emulsified cheese-melt. Evaporated milk alongside baking soda and lemon juice would purportedly result in a velvety queso. But, after tinkering with the ratios, Vaculin conceded that it just wasn’t right. “It works to a point,” she said, “but the queso definitely got more clumpy as it sat.” In the end, the magic of sodium citrate simply couldn’t be replicated. Here’s why:
Usually, when cheese melts, the fat and proteins begin to separate, but sodium citrate “binds them together so that when they melt, they do it evenly and homogeneously,” Vaculin explains. Keeping the mixture homogenized ensures that this queso fundido can stand the test of time. As Vaculin discovered in her testing, there really is no substitute for sodium citrate in this recipe. “The amazing thing about the sodium citrate version was that it stayed beautiful and viscous even as it sat on the pass for hours, which was kind of amazing and really sold us on ‘Okay, this is worth it.’”
[...]
Apparently, it's used in American cheese and Velveeta, as well as other foods.
5 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Makes a tasty snack... Just ask Jess...
https://jesspryles.com/beer-cheese-dip-in-a-bread-bowl/
