Four tablespoons of baking soda is way too much. My understanding is the amount should be 1/2 tsp baking soda per pound of meat, otherwise if you put too much you will get that yucky chemical taste. I have used this method on tenderizing slices of steak for stir-fry and it yields very tender meat just like you get in a chinese restaurant. I actually learned this from a Chinese recipe book and it states that if you are going to soak your meat in marinade, first rub the baking soda into the meat and let sit for 20 minutes. Then rinse completely before adding your marinade. I have to confess I've only done this on steak but it works so well that I'm going to venture out and try it on some pork chops.