What makes meat tough and tender?

The more collagen there is in a piece of meat, the tougher it is to cut and to chew . Skin is mostly collagen, as are the tendons that connect muscles to bones. For cuts that are high in collagen, cooking with methods that use slow, moist heat, such as stewing or braising, are the best.

How long do you leave baking soda on meat to tenderize it?

Step 2: Soak meat in solution for at least 15 minutes This process allows the baking soda to neutralize acid on the surface of the meat, resulting in less toughness and a cooked meat that is juicy on the inside while remaining crispy on the outside.

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat?

Less than a teaspoon of baking soda ensures that your steak remains juicy and tender—even after a speedy marinade. While other recipes demand hours of marinating, this baking soda hack makes a flank steak or any other fibrous cut of beef ready to sear after just an hour.

How to make cheap meat tender?

One way to deal with tough muscle fibers is to simply break them apart . The cube steaks sold at the grocery store have been run through a mechanical tenderizer, a process called “Swissing.” At home, you can pound steaks into thin pieces and break down connective tissue with a meat mallet.

How do you make meat soft and juicy?

Soaking meat in a salty brine helps the meat muscles absorb more water, thus retaining moisture . Through a process called "denaturing," salt causes protein in the meat to uncoil and form strings, which link to water. Brining with a salt solution helps keep the meat from drying out when cooked.

Does vinegar make meat tender?

Balsamic vinegar is a good marinade for red meats because it helps to tenderize them . The acid in the vinegar helps to break down some of the protein and fat in the beef, which makes it softer. The balsamic vinegar also adds a sweet flavor while tenderizing, without having to add any sugar.

What makes meat juicy and tender?

Rubbing: For larger cuts of meat, a mix of spices and salt is prepared as a rub. This mixture is rubbed all over the meat to add flavor. During smoking, the connective tissues in the meat secrete juices that combine with the rub making it tender and succulent.

What can I soak my steaks in to make them tender?

Marinate with Acid Not only does a tenderizing steak marinade imbue aromatic flavour, but the acidic ingredients in it also denature connective proteins in the meat. Regular or apple cider vinegar, wine or beer, lemon or lime juice, buttermilk or yogurt contain tenderizing acids.

How do restaurants make their steaks so tender?

The Aging. Most fine restaurants age their beef to intensify the flavor and improve the tenderness of the cut. Aging is done by letting the meat sit (in very controlled conditions) for several days or weeks.

Which would be the most effective tenderizing treatment for meat?

Protease treatment is an efficient method used for meat tenderization. In the food industry, different proteases such as bromelain, papain, ficin, actinidin, and calpain are widely used for proteolytic degradation, to improve meat tenderness.

Does vinegar tenderize meat?

The acid in the vinegar helps to break down some of the protein and fat in the beef, which makes it softer .

8 Simple Ways to Make Tough Meat Tender (2024)

Updated: Sep. 29, 2020

Not every cut is melt-in-your mouth tender. We have the scoop on how to make tough meat tender with just a few simple steps.

I think we’ve all been there: a new recipe or an unfamiliar cut of meat leaves us with a tough, chewy meal. It feels wasteful and it can be pretty embarrassing if it happens during a dinner party. So what’s the cause, and how do you make tough meat tender?

Well, tenderizing meat isn’t as difficult as you might think! With a few tricks, like the ones we’ve got below, you can have even budget-friendly and unfamiliar cuts super tender with just a little extra effort. Find out how below, and don’t forget to ask your butcher about these cuts.

1. Physically tenderize the meat

For tough cuts like chuck steak, a meat mallet can be a surprisingly effective way to break down those tough muscle fibers. You don’t want to pound it into oblivion and turn the meat into mush, but a light pounding with the rough edge of a meat mallet will do the trick. If you don’t have one, you can lightly score the surface in a crosshatch pattern with a knife or use a fork to poke tiny holes into the meat.

2. Use a marinade

Cuts like flank or skirt steak make excellent grilling steaks, but they’re so tough you won’t want to eat them without a little marinade action. Using acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar or buttermilk not only add flavor but also break down tough proteins, giving the meat a “pre-cook” before it hits the grill. Just make sure you don’t let it sit on the marinade for too long (30 minutes to two hours should be sufficient), or it’ll become soft and mushy.

Get started with our best marinade recipes.

3. Don’t forget the salt

Whether you’re marinating or not, at least make sure to salt the meat before cooking. Salt draws out moisture from inside the meat, concentrating the flavors and creating a natural brine. You know it’s working because the meat will take on a deeper, red color. Unlike marinades, you can salt your meat for up to 24 hours in advance.

4. Let it come up to room temperature

This is especially important with grass-fed beef and other lean cuts of meat. Since there’s not a lot of fat on these cuts, they’re less forgiving if slightly overcooked. Letting the meat sit on a room temperature counter for 30 minutes before cooking will help it cook more evenly.

5. Cook it low-and-slow

More expensive cuts of meat can be flash seared over high temperatures, but many budget cuts, like pork shoulder or chuck roast, require low-and-slow cooking techniques (like these slow cooker sandwiches). When braising tough cuts of meat, the collagen breaks down in the cooking liquid and really lets those tough muscle fibers separate. Make sure you give yourself enough time to let those cuts break down, which could take four or more hours in a Dutch oven or slow cooker.

6. Hit the right internal temperature

Overcooking can make your meat dry but undercooked meat can be quite chewy. Don’t be afraid of an instant-read meat thermometer and pull your meat when it’s ready. For naturally tender cuts like beef tenderloin, that can be as rare as 125ºF, whereas tougher cuts like brisket should be cooked to 195ºF.

7. Rest your meat

No matter how well you prepare and cook your meat, it will turn out dry and tough if you don’t let it rest. A general rule of thumb is five minutes per inch of thickness for steaks, or ten minutes per pound for roasts. This allows the juices to redistribute within the meat instead of spilling out onto the cutting board—that means your meat will be dry and tough.

8. Slice against the grain

All cuts of meat have long muscle fibers that run throughout them. If you make cuts parallel to the muscle fibers, you’ll end up using your teeth to break through them as you chew. That sounds like a workout! Instead, cut crosswise against the muscle fibers so they come apart easily and effortlessly.

Try your hand at these steakhouse copycat recipes.

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8 Simple Ways to Make Tough Meat Tender (2024)

1. Physically tenderize the meat

2. Use a marinade

3. Don’t forget the salt

4. Let it come up to room temperature

5. Cook it low-and-slow

6. Hit the right internal temperature

7. Rest your meat

8. Slice against the grain

FAQs

8 Simple Ways to Make Tough Meat Tender? ›

How do restaurants make their steaks so tender? ›