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Wanna know the secrete to making silky smooth cheese sauces?
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JustOneOfTheGuys
Posts: 142
I don’t know about you, but making a cheese sauce that was not grainy and still had a nice bold cheese taste always eluded me. No matter what I tried, it just never came out right. I had picked up some awesomely big baking potatoes to go with a smoke I was planning and I wanted a loaded, cheesy potato to go with it.
Every once and a while I would search that thing called the internets for hints and tricks but none really worked.... until last night.
I finally ran across a post that suggested using sodium citrate, a natural salt of citric acid, to get the job done. In the world of molecular gastronomy, sodium citrate is used as an emulsifier, calcium sequestrant, and as a preservative. So I took a chance and ordered me some from America’s pantry, you know - Amazon, and put it to work. Well whadda you know, the dang stuff works! Just using the sodium citrate, a bit of water, milk and cheese I was able to make the smoothest, meltiest cheese sauce EVER! I still need to play with the ratios a bit to get it to a consistency I like, but it was a total success.
You can find all the details in the article on the Modernist Cuisine web site - http://http//modernistcuisine.com/recipes/melty-queso-dip/
Use the ratios listed there as a guide and go from there. I used a 50/50 mix of freshly grated American and mild cheddar cheeses, cayenne pepper, a bit of water to dissolve the sodium citrate in, and milk to make up the rest. The liquid was 80% of the cheese by weight. While it was a bit too runny the taste was spot on to that of a mild nacho cheese sauce. I wound up adding more shredded cheddar to thicken things up a bit so next time I’m going to cut the liquid from 80% to 60%. Basically what you get is a velveeta like product without all the extra “stuff” in it. The added kicker is that you can alter the taste to your liking by using whatever cheese (or cheeses) you want and you can make it to the consistency you wish.
Every once and a while I would search that thing called the internets for hints and tricks but none really worked.... until last night.
I finally ran across a post that suggested using sodium citrate, a natural salt of citric acid, to get the job done. In the world of molecular gastronomy, sodium citrate is used as an emulsifier, calcium sequestrant, and as a preservative. So I took a chance and ordered me some from America’s pantry, you know - Amazon, and put it to work. Well whadda you know, the dang stuff works! Just using the sodium citrate, a bit of water, milk and cheese I was able to make the smoothest, meltiest cheese sauce EVER! I still need to play with the ratios a bit to get it to a consistency I like, but it was a total success.
You can find all the details in the article on the Modernist Cuisine web site - http://http//modernistcuisine.com/recipes/melty-queso-dip/
Use the ratios listed there as a guide and go from there. I used a 50/50 mix of freshly grated American and mild cheddar cheeses, cayenne pepper, a bit of water to dissolve the sodium citrate in, and milk to make up the rest. The liquid was 80% of the cheese by weight. While it was a bit too runny the taste was spot on to that of a mild nacho cheese sauce. I wound up adding more shredded cheddar to thicken things up a bit so next time I’m going to cut the liquid from 80% to 60%. Basically what you get is a velveeta like product without all the extra “stuff” in it. The added kicker is that you can alter the taste to your liking by using whatever cheese (or cheeses) you want and you can make it to the consistency you wish.
Southwestern CT
Comments
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Yep. Used sodium citrate many times . Smoked gouda mac n cheee is a hig everytime i make it
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Nice post. thanks for sharingXL & MM BGE, 36" Blackstone - Newport News, VA
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Yes. It's very handy stuff to have around.
Coleman, Texas
Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
"Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
YukonRon -
I've always started with a bechamel then add cheese. Never knew about using sodium citrate till now. Thanks for the info.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
-Umberto Eco
2 Large
Peachtree Corners, GA -
Great info. Thanks for sharing!=======================================
XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
Tampa Bay, FL
EIB 6 Oct 95 -
GATraveller said:I've always started with a bechamel then add cheese. Never knew about using sodium citrate till now. Thanks for the info.
Me too. Make a roux, then add beer, then a can of 2% evaporated milk before adding the rest of the milk and cheese.......that's always worked for me. Will try this other method though! -
is the link working for every one. i do roux, chicken stock milk and cheese for scalloped taters but the regular cheese sauce never really spoke to me til i started adding gorganzola to the mix for mac and cheese. will try this sodium citric soon
fukahwee maineyou can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it -
fishlessman said:is the link working for every one. i do roux, chicken stock milk and cheese for scalloped taters but the regular cheese sauce never really spoke to me til i started adding gorganzola to the mix for mac and cheese. will try this sodium citric soon
NOLA -
Yep - this is a totally MONEY technique.
1 LBGE in Chapel Hill, NC -
buzd504 said:fishlessman said:is the link working for every one. i do roux, chicken stock milk and cheese for scalloped taters but the regular cheese sauce never really spoke to me til i started adding gorganzola to the mix for mac and cheese. will try this sodium citric soon
fukahwee maineyou can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it -
I'm skipping the secrete in my cheese sauce.
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GrillSgt said:I'm skipping the secrete in my cheese sauce.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
-Umberto Eco
2 Large
Peachtree Corners, GA -
amazon sales of sodium citrate just went up
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Link wouldn't work for me, but a little Google action and found it.
http://modernistcuisine.com/recipes/melty-queso-dip/
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Thomasville, NC
My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
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GATraveller said:I've always started with a bechamel then add cheese. Never knew about using sodium citrate till now. Thanks for the info.Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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poster said:amazon sales of sodium citrate just went up
NOLA -
fishlessman said:is the link working for every one. i do roux, chicken stock milk and cheese for scalloped taters but the regular cheese sauce never really spoke to me til i started adding gorganzola to the mix for mac and cheese. will try this sodium citric soonSouthwestern CT
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lkapigian said:GATraveller said:I've always started with a bechamel then add cheese. Never knew about using sodium citrate till now. Thanks for the info.Southwestern CT
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JustOneOfTheGuys said:lkapigian said:GATraveller said:I've always started with a bechamel then add cheese. Never knew about using sodium citrate till now. Thanks for the info.Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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GATraveller said:I've always started with a bechamel then add cheese. Never knew about using sodium citrate till now. Thanks for the info.LBGE - I like the hot stuff. The big dry San Joaquin Valley, Clovis, CA
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poster said:
The other MCAH must have is Xanthan Gum.Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad! -
Skiddymarker said:
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Skiddymarker said:Southwestern CT
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JustOneOfTheGuys said:
The other MCAH must have is Xanthan Gum.
1 LBGE in Chapel Hill, NC -
JustOneOfTheGuys said:Skiddymarker said:
Also its the ticket for awesome home fermented hot sauce -
Secret, whisk hard, add milk slowly.
Never had a problem with bechamels.
I'm on board with the XG.
Makes a great homemade, organic, water based lube in a pinch.BrandonQuad Cities
"If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful." -
CarolinaCrazy said:JustOneOfTheGuys said:
The other MCAH must have is Xanthan Gum.
Visalia, Ca @lkapigian -
@CarolinaCrazy @lkapigian - any idea how it stacks up to the cold version of clear jell?Southwestern CT
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Have any of you bought it on amazon? Which one did you buy?
Rockwall, Tx LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.
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