My Grandma's Secret Ingredient for Making Ground Beef Juicy & Tender

Get My New Book: 'The Art of Japanese Cooking' from me and my grandma. 👉 https://frugaljapan.shop/ Easy to make Japanese recipes that your family will enjoy :) ------------------------------------------------------ Ground meat can quickly turn watery, dry, and grainy—but I use my grandmother’s simple baking soda trick to keep it juicy, tender, and beautifully browned. In this video, I show you exactly how much baking soda to use, why it works, and the common mistake that can ruin the result. I demonstrate the technique in two comforting Japanese dishes: sweet and savory ground pork soboro over rice, and tender chicken tsukune meatballs coated in a sticky soy glaze. I also share browning, shaping, storage, and make-ahead tips, plus when this method should—and shouldn’t—be used. 0:00 - Grandma’s baking soda secret 1:01 - Preparing the ground pork 2:41 - Why meat loses moisture 4:32 - Getting the dosage right 6:20 - Preparing soboro toppings 9:09 - Browning pork without stirring 12:14 - Seasoning and assembling soboro 14:53 - Tender chicken tsukune 17:12 - Shaping the chicken meatballs 18:05 - Cooking and glazing tsukune 20:48 - More uses and exceptions 22:47 - Storage and make-ahead tips #japanesefood