How to Tenderize Tough Meat? Tricks to Make Cheap Cuts Soft and Delicious
Cheaper cuts of red meat are usually quite tough and need to be prepared with a lot of care to turn them into a tender bite...
These kitchen tricks are used by top chefs to tenderize meat and make it flavorful.
Marinate the Meat
If you want to add more depth of flavor to the meat, marinate it for several hours or overnight. Not only will this enhance the flavor, but it will also tenderize the meat. To tenderize meat with a marinade, it's important that it contains an acid source such as vinegar, citrus juice, or yogurt, as well as plenty of salt, according to the portal Kuvar.
Tenderize Meat with a Mallet
Do you have a meat mallet in your kitchen? Not only will it help flatten the meat for more even cooking, but it will also tenderize the tough cut through the pounding process.
Cut the Meat Properly
Butchers know well that the tenderness, appearance, and taste of cooked meat also depend on how it is cut before it goes into the pan. Carefully inspect the raw piece of meat and identify the direction of the muscle fibers. Use a knife to cut across the grain vertically. This will shorten the fibers and make the meat easier to chew.
Cook Meat Slowly at a Low Temperature
If you want to make a delicious goulash from tough beef shank pieces, it’s important to cook the meat at a low temperature—for hours. Goulash is traditionally simmered for two to three hours over low heat, during which time the collagen in the muscle tissue breaks down, making the tough pieces as soft as butter.
