MSG, Now How Do I Use It

Midnight Smoke

Midnight Smoke

somebody shut me the fark up.
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Read some maybe not enough. We all know how easy the internet is to impulse buy, well I did just that.

I just ordered 2lb's of the stuff, one could have been enough but I am a hoarder so two pounds sounded better.

So now my question is, what am going to use this on, Burgers, Steaks, chicken? I read the bad about this stuff but also read some unspoken thoughts.

Did I just waste $12.00 on this or can I use it for some flavor enhancement of meat?
 
If you've ever eaten out ANYWHERE you've experienced MSG flavoring meat. You can use it on fries, chicken, fish, steak, eggs, in sauces, rubs, in your freaking home brewed beer if you so choose. The stuff is in just about everything that doesn't say "MSG FREE!"

I typically use it whenever my family is craving 'restaurant food.' If they want some burger and fries, or some fish sandwiches, or more specifically they're asking me to go out and buy them some fast food or take out, I'll just make whatever they're craving, and add a bit of MSG into the seasonings, and voila, you've got yourself some take out, fast food, pizza joint pizzas.

Use it as you should use everything, in moderation, and you'll be a lot better off than the MSG that's loaded up in everything you ever bought from any grocery store, food chain, etc. etc.
 
Use it like super powerful salt, that is to say, use a lot less than you think you need to. Literally, 2 pounds is crazy talk, we would buy 8 ounces of Aji-no-moto and it would last 3 years. If you add around 2 to 3 percent by weight to a seasoning mix, you are fine.
 
As it's been said, a little goes a long way with MSG. Use it in sauces, rubs, general seasonings, brines, soups, stews, just about every thing really. But, to much, and it could be to strong. I use about 1 tsp for every 1 1/2 cups of rub I make and about 1 table spoon for a gallon batch of sauce or brine. Your taste may vary though.
 
Thanks, seems that I may have bought to much, hopefully the expiration dates are way out. This is what I bought, Aji-No-Moto Monosodium Glutamate Seasoning. Guess I do not understand the term restaurant food taste, do most all of them use it? I was under the impression it was not used hardly at all anymore.

I will take your advice and use in moderation but it sounds like it may give a nice flavor bump to the bland meat I have complained about before.
 
I've been contemplating up some Ac'cent to try to give some of my rubs more "pop". I just haven't gotten around to it yet. So, please update us on your findings.

I am curious about the brand you purchased. I haven't done that much investigating yet. Do people claim there is a difference between brands? Or was it price?
 
It has barely any flavor at all. And it is not all that noticeable as a flavor profile, it has the tendency to punch up the salt character of some foods.

Almost all pre-made sauces served or used as bases in restaurants use MSG or some other form of Glutamate, that does not have to be labelled as such. They are also allowed to not list it, if it is less than 5% of the ingredients, it can even be listed as a spice or flavoring.
 
Damn the cats out of the bag. Almost very team at a competition, you will see the econosized bottle of accent. I usually go through 2oz every cookoff. A little sprinkle here and there adds up quick
 
Yup, I read this earlier and decided to grab some Accent (pure MSG) at Wallyworld this afternoon. I'm a "value shopper" and put back the 4 oz. shaker for $3.50 when I spotted the 32 oz. barrel for $9! We had porterhouses and ribeyes tonight and I mixed a little in with the S&P. It really does make the other flavors pop out quite a bit. I'll need to be careful, I can be a flavor junkie and don't wanna go overboard!
 
So the ratio should be around 1 Tsp per cup of Rub. When doing some Burgers, Steak or chicken I guess you can just lightly sprinkle some over the meat, correct? I normally use nothing on my Beef prior to cooking except some S&P or I do a Salt bath on some Steaks.

I know I will learn by experimentation but would like to know what happens if you use to much, is it just like over salting?
 
Yeah, this has been awhile since I've done some reading but this crap activates taste buds on the tongue. It's one of the "flavors" the tongue can register. Too much basically chokes out that taste bud 'receptor' and blammo, you're foaming at the mouth... not really, but you get my point.

Typically what I do with it regarding steaks and burgers and stuff is I simply add it together with some salt. I'll measure out the salt for the container, and then add about 1/2 a TB of MSG into it, and shake it up real good. Then I sprinkle that over steaks or fish or whatever, if I'm going that route. Same with burger seasoning, typically it's kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, and a liiiitle bit of garlic powder, then a little bit of MSG, and boom, burger seasoning.

It's a useful tool in the culinary toolbox, I don't use it on everything, I can't remember ever really throwing it onto any kind of pasta or pasta sauce for instance, like ever.. or in my breads, or baked goods, but it goes great things for the homemade other stuff I mentioned, and it does great things with veggies.
 
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