View Single Post
  #7 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.cooking
Nancy2 Nancy2 is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,256
Default "Binding" with flour, as in potato pancakes and meatloaf.

On Dec 6, 10:03 am, Mike > wrote:
> Can anyone discuss 'binding' as in adding flour to a potato mixture or
> a meatloaf?
> What's actually happening? how do you know you've added enough flour
> or matzo meal? - Mike


I don't ever add flour to meatloaf - an egg or two is perfectly
adequate for making it stay together.

For potato cakes, it's a good bet that if you can form a patty of some
sort, either by dropping a glob into the hot grease with a spoon, or
even forming a patty by hand, it's got enough. Start out with a
little - add more only if needed.

Flour "binds" because it's a thickening agent.

N.