Meatloaf and burger recipes often call for panades made with milk. Can you use another liquid?
Panade is a paste, usually made from bread and milk, that keeps ground meat moist when it’s cooked above 130 degrees. As you observed, our recipes for meatloaf and well-done hamburgers, as well as meatballs, often call for panades. (Burgers cooked to rare or medium usually remain moist without any help.) To determine whether panade can be created with liquids other than milk, we made four batches of hamburgers and four meatloaves: one with the classic milk-and-bread combination, and one each substituting chicken broth, beef broth, and water for the milk. Tasters liked all of the burgers; some even preferred the burger made with the chicken broth panade, describing it as savory and especially well seasoned. Likewise, all of the meatloaves passed muster.
THE BOTTOM LINE Water and broth are fine substitutes for milk in panade. Use them when cooking for people with a milk allergy, to keep ground meat dishes kosher, or to boost seasoning in burgers and meatloaf. Bear in mind that the broth will add salt to the mixture.
