Very often, you may need to quickly tenderize a piece of meat! How can you turn tough pork or beef into tender and delicious meat? We’ll reveal the secret ingredient right now!
If you happen to have a piece of old, tough pork or beef, there’s no need to despair. While a juicy steak might not be achievable, a fantastic stew or roasted meat is within reach. Let us show you how to save the situation!
There are several helper products that can tenderize even the toughest meat, adding juiciness and delightful flavors.
Onions
No meat dish can do without onions and onion juice. You can slice the onions into half-rings, finely chop them, pass them through a meat grinder, or even grate them (a little prevention for the common cold). Then mix it with the meat in a 1:1 ratio and leave it under pressure for a couple of hours.
Mustard
This product is an excellent companion for meat! Mustard (in powder form or as a liquid sauce) not only tenderizes the meat fibers but also adds a tangy aroma and a light spiciness. Simply spread mustard on the whole piece of meat or cut it into portions, let it sit for 15-20 minutes, then fry or bake it.
Alcohol
Dry wine (red or white), beer, vodka. Soak the meat in wine beforehand, and add vodka (about 50g) to the simmering stew or stew. Beer is an excellent option for braising a whole piece of pork or beef.
Worries about alcohol are unnecessary: it completely evaporates during the cooking process.
Lemon, pomegranate, pineapple juice
All these juices are excellent tenderizers. However, when using such a marinade, try not to marinate the meat for too long to avoid ending up with rubbery meat.
Brine
Cabbage or cucumber brine is an excellent option, by the way! It adds a tangy note, and you won’t need to salt the dish separately.
Mineral water
This is a proven method of tenderizing from experienced chefs, and it’s better to choose therapeutic mineral water like “Essentuki” or “Borjomi.”
Starch
Try soaking tough meat in water with diluted potato starch – you’ll be amazed by the result! Juicy pieces with a crispy crust are guaranteed.
Mix the fermented milk product with your favorite aromatic spices and marinate the meat in this mixture for a couple of hours.
Soy sauce
Marinating the meat in soy sauce for 1-1.5 hours gives it tenderness, a rich dark color, and a distinctive taste. Highly recommended!
By experimenting with various marinades, you’ll surely find the one that suits your taste. And one more important point in cooking any meat: never salt the meat in advance under any circumstances! Salt draws out all the juices even before cooking begins.
