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What makes yogurt sauce curdle?

16 years ago

I made a sauce by adding some yogurt to a simmering pan of porcini, beef broth, and shallots. The yogurt immediately curdled (became grainy). What causes this, and how do you avoid it?

Also, is a sour cream sauce much the same as one made with yogurt?

RB

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Comments (6)

lindac
16 years ago
High heat....don't let the sauce come to a boil after you add the yogurt.
Linda C
Terri_PacNW
16 years ago
I'm thinking it's because yogurt doesn't have as much fat usually, so like milk it'll curdle once it goes to a bubble of any sort.
When I make a sour cream sauce, I just add a few big spoonfuls of sourcream to my barely simmering beef gravy. Instanly makes "stroganoff". LOL
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This is information from The Cook's Thesaurus (link below): Substitutes for one cup sour cream: Blend one cup cottage cheese plus two or three tablespoons milk or buttermilk plus two tablespoons lemon juice OR blend equal parts cottage cheese and plain yogurt OR blend one cup cottage cheese plus one-third of a cup buttermilk plus one tablespoon lemon juice. (Adapted from directions in the Joy of Cooking by Marion Rombauer Becker and Irma Rombauer. See my sources.) OR blend one cup cottage cheese plus two tablespoons lemon juice plus two tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise plus one-fourth cup nonfat buttermilk (adapted from a recipe in the New Laurel's Kitchen Cookbook) OR Combine 7/8 cup buttermilk or yogurt plus three tablespoons butter or margarine (From a Gateway Virginia recipe. See my sources.) OR one cup buttermilk OR one cup well-drained yogurt (if making cheesecake, use whole milk yogurt) OR one cup sour milk OR let stand for 5 minutes: one cup evaporated milk plus one tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar OR jocoque OR smetana (lower calories) I would caution when cooking with yogurt \- it will separate if allowed to boil. Separating doesn't affect the flavor, just looks, and it can be prevented by using flour, cornstarch or arrowroot in sauces. Yogurt (or kefir) can be substituted for sour cream in nearly any recipe, in my experience. I use homemade kefir (drained at least 30\-minutes) all the time as a substitute for sour cream. \-Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: [Cook's Thesaurus \- cultured milk](http://www.foodsubs.com/Cultmilk.html)
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I'll never forget my first curdling. I was in my mid 20's and after a brooklyn stoop chat with an elder neighbor, i decided to make his verbal recipe that his grandmother and mother had made. (he had never made it or cooked at all)...thick pork chops, single layer, seared, covered with onion, then braised in milk to cover. Two hours (ish)...then a can of whole tomatoes, squeezed in hand and the stem butt removed...(some cussing always when the careful squeezing always hit the wall a bit)...another hour or two and it was done. It was a time before i attempted it. Then, with 6 thick pork chops to fit our pan i seared, added onion, then milk, ...checked it and it was a curdled mess after just a few minutes. Horrified i was wanting to toss it out. DH said not so fast..."lets call Mom". MIL being a brilliant cook just laughed and said to simmer and reduce the liquids and caramelize the onions. The milk solids will firm and become nutty and said, "i gave you Marcella's books. Read her recipe for pork braised in milk!". ....I thought the milk was soured and bad. Old. I still find it odd but having made cheese i understand now. (I had wanted to give a meal of my neighbors recipe to him since i made more than for the two of us but did not) It was good, with reservations, at the time). ...i still thought we were eating spoiled milk, : ) Marcella Hazan's recipe is amazing. "By the time the loin is cooked the milk should have coagulated into small nut-brown clusters on the bottom of the pan. (If it is still pale remove the loin, uncover the pot, raise the heat and cook briskly until the milk bits darken.)" Adding tomato was just another element and we have made it many times since. Usually a frozen garden tomato or two. Here is a link that might be useful: pork loin braised in milk
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Greek yogurt in Greece is very thick. That was my first exposure to "Greek" yogurt. It has added fat so is very rich and creamy. 10% milkfat is usual but you can get even 15%. Usually served with honey to drizzle on it. Consistency of sour cream. At the greek bed and breakfast where we stayed 6 years ago, it was large part of breakfast. We would all eat big bowls full with nothing but honey on it. I doubt you can get it with added fat in the US. It's been trendy here for a few years, but bears little resemblance to real Greek yogurt. I laugh when I see a label stating "Non-fat" greek yogurt. I use whole milk Greek yogurt as a starter. You have to experiment with brands. Some are sour. We buy non-national, non-advertised brands we get at an ethnic grocery store. I have a vintage Salton yogurt maker I have had for 40+ years. I didn't use it early on when the only brand you could get was Dannon, which I don't like. Now that I can get good yogurt for a starter, I use mine every week. We use more yogurt than I can make. The thick yogurt as it comes gets used to make Tzaziki sauce and similar. I don't bother to strain my resulting product. Mine is just to eat.
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colleenoz
16 years ago
You can also stablise the yoghurt by stirring about a tablespoon of plain flour into it before adding it to the hot food.
grainlady_ks
16 years ago
As already mentioned, high heat is the cause.

1. Make sure your yogurt is warmed to room temperature - not cold from the refrigerator.

2. Don't add yogurt directly to a boiling or extremely hot mixture. Remove the cooked mixture from direct heat when adding yogurt.

3. Temper the yogurt by stirring a few tablespoons of the hot food into the yogurt, warming it gradually. Then stir the warmed yogurt into the hot mixture. Do this near the end of the cooking process so the yogurt won't heat too long. If you heat it too long, it will once again cause the curd and whey to separate and the sauce will curdle.

4. Be gentle anytime you are stirring yogurt. All that stirring activity breaks down the curd and reduces it to liquid.

5. Another alternative is to add cornstarch (as well as the flour method given by collenoz) to the mixture: allowing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch per cup of yogurt, dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of cold water. Add this to your yogurt mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened.

6. If your warm cooking mixture thins out too much with the addition of yogurt, you can also try adding a little arrowroot or flour (1-2 tablespoons per cup of yogurt) mixed with cold water.

-Grainlady
Bob_B
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks all. Your advice is just what I'd hoped for.

I'm still interested in knowing the difference in using yogurt or sour cream, pluses or minuses of one over the other.

RB
lindac
16 years ago
In a word....fat! Even full fat yogurt doesn't have the same fat content as sour cream. Sour cream tastes different...not better or worse....just different.
Linda C

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