“These steaks are rock hard!” » says the mother-in-law, in the middle of the “meat” family meal! Catastrophe, you remain stoic, diplomatic despite everything. This family loves meat so much that it turns into an obsession! However, it is still possible to do something about it.
The proof with our 10 tips shared by Samuel Le Boch, chef in Paris which will make your pieces of meat as soft and delicious as possible.
How do “meat makers” and professionals go about tenderizing meat and making it so tasty?
Meat is not a separate world, reserved only for specialists. The art of cooking has no shortage of tips and tricks capable of satisfying seasoned lovers of a good piece of meat, packed with proteins and vitamins.
We are going to review through a game of questions and answers, all the methods, 10 in total, so that your family meal no longer turns into a pitched battle, knife between your teeth!
Why and how is my meat so tough?
It is important to go to the butcher, a professional who knows his business well. Because, in fact, the tenderness of the meat will also depend on the choice of the cut, the date of slaughter, the packaging, and the quality of the supply. Forget the eternal “it’s the butcher’s fault, he served me his leftovers!” « .
You need to be more specific when making your request: “beef for braising, pork for the oven, cutlets for the pan…”. These details are important to the professional, who will also give you valuable advice and this bouquet of aromatic plants lying around on his work surface.
How to obtain tender and tender beef?
By rolling your piece of meat in coarse salt, a few spoons of baking soda or in honey, you will give these ingredients time to act on the fibers of the meat. It will then be softer after rinsing.
It is also entirely possible to cook the meat in a crust with the same ingredients. The principle ?
Steam cooking that will tenderize even the toughest meats. Bicarbonate of soda, salt and honey in abundance will give your legs, the fleshy parts of the beef, beautiful golden crusts after going through the oven, which everyone loves, except this aunt, who wants to be tougher than the meat. ! However, watch the cooking time.
Can marinade tenderize all tough meats?
This is a method that could be described as a grandmother’s tip, which would make star chefs scold! And yet, that’s what it’s all about: since the dawn of time, women have found practical tips to satisfy the whole family, and often with the means at hand.
They experienced everything and today we benefit from these discoveries, which have become traditions. The marinade is one of them. To tenderize tough meat, you must hydrate it and allow its fibers to relax. It therefore contains acidic and softening elements. The question that arises in this case concerns the duration of maceration.
The answer is ultimately relative, and depends on many criteria, notably the type of meat and marinade. 3 to 6 hours, and the case could be heard! It’s your turn to experiment and make your own contribution.
Thanks to the acidity… lemon, vinegar:
The acidic element is highlighted here. Of course, you are not going to look for chemicals, although, in molecular cuisine… You need elements that contain non-abrasive, gentler acids, which are nevertheless capable of penetrating the muscle fibers and relaxing them.
Lemon, red wine or cider vinegar will do the trick. Note that tomato, pineapple or papaya are excellent meat tenderizers!
Thanks to lactic ferments: milk, cream, dairy products.
Lactic ferments contain tenderizing powers, thanks to their famous enzymes which do so much good for the digestive tract, which will overcome the toughest meats.
This foolproof technique therefore consists of soaking your raw meat in these nutrients. We must no longer see a single square centimeter of meat, whatever it may be. Here too, time is on your side: between 5 to 8 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Does this crazy life make you boil? What if you let off steam by “beating” this tough meat?
Yes, sometimes in the kitchen, we tend to want to let off steam… physically! What we are going to discuss now is aptly called: hammering. We hit the piece of meat to destroy the fibers and therefore tenderize it.
There are two methods available to you. With or without a meat mallet.
Without tools: put your piece of meat in a clean cloth or wrap it vigorously, then place it on your work surface and start tapping on it for a few minutes. Observe the effects, you won’t have any bad surprises!
With a meat mallet: As with the previous method, simply tap your previously wrapped pieces of meat and observe the final result.
How to make a stew, beef bourguignon or any stew without the meat being dry?
“Simmering” is in itself a method of tenderizing meat. It is important to let it cook over low heat for a long time and above all to watch the level of water, salt or tomatoes! We forget it too often, tomato sauce with its acidic action, its water, counts for a lot in the success of so-called casserole dishes!
Beforehand, take care to carefully cut the pieces of tomato and also add a teaspoon or two of baking soda. Shh, it’s a secret!
How to make meat that is too tough after cooking tender?
Sometimes you mess up your cooking. Do not panic ! You now have a lot of tips and tricks to get through it. You can use the marinade for example, or even milk.
It’s never too late! Here’s how to make up for the meat from beef bourguignon that’s too tough?
It’s never too late to do the right thing! The packaging technique should be enough. After removing them from the pot, wrap the pieces of meat, ideally in aluminum foil or cling film and leave in the refrigerator for a quarter of an hour.
This involves cutting the cooking and rehydrating the meat with its own water loss. To serve hot, slide everything into an oven at 80°C. Meat lovers will see the difference!
And to tenderize a skewer of beef? How to do ?
The method is essentially the same. Except that the barbecue tends to quickly grab the blood and water from the grilled meat. By always wrapping in aluminum foil or cling film, you give it a chance to regain juice.
If necessary, slide them, still wrapped, into a low-power oven. The trick also works with a leg of lamb that is overcooked from the outside.
Even a pan-fried beef steak?
For beef or pork steak, you must intervene, urgently, with an ingredient that you already have in the refrigerator: sparkling water. Bathe the piece in it, taking care to first collect the juices and juices for your sauce.
Leave to soak, covered, for five minutes and reheat in the oven. More effective than in a hot pan. The ice cube technique also gives good results.
You are now up to speed on all the tips and techniques that you can now put into practice to satisfy the meat lovers around you! Before, during and after cooking, you will be sure on all fronts!
