There’s not much that can compare to a bite of flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth filet or brisket. You can splurge on high quality beef and get that texture easily, but what about the day-to-day beef dinners that don’t entail a $20 steak? Here are 5 simple tricks to making tougher, more budget-friendlycuts delightfully tender.
By Hannah Burkhalter Updated January 26, 2017
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There are several factors that contribute to the natural tenderness of a cut of beef, like the animal’s age, breed, diet, marbling, and the section from which the cut was taken. And, of course, whether or not you chose the right cut for the recipe you’re following.
If you're looking to make dinner with a cut that's not inherently tender, rest assured, you're in the right place. There are a handful of techniques for tenderization that can give your chewy hunk of meat the succulent texture of a high-quality cut. Here’s what you need to know to make an cut of beef the best you’ve ever had.
5 Techniques for Tenderizing Beef:
1. Physically break tough muscle fibers.
This is called mechanical tenderizing and there are a few ways to do it. Use a meat tenderizer or small mallet to break tough muscle fibers, by literally pounding the beef (you can wrap the cut in pieces of plastic wrap to keep this from getting messy). If you don’t own a mallet or tenderizer, use a fork to pierce holes into the surface of the beef to help a marinade absorb more quickly. You can also score the surface of the meat with a sharp knife. Simply make shallow slices across the surface of the steak in a crosshatch pattern on both sides. Your cuts will cut tough fibers and also aid in marinade absorption.
2. Marinate the meat.
A marinade is the best way to utilize acids and enzymes for your benefit in tenderizing. Acids assist in breaking down proteins, while enzymes relax and break down proteins. Acidic ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, and even yogurt have a low pH that can assist in tenderizing your beef. And naturally-occuring enzymes like papain in papayas and bromelain in pineapples can likewise help soften your steak. In fact, the powdered form of these enzymes are commonly used in commercial meat tenderizers. Salt is also frequently used in marinades to aid in moisture retention and help break down muscle components (and for flavor, of course). Get your marinade game on with this Do-It-All Marinade or a bright Citrus Marinade.
London Broil with Mushroom Sauce
Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Thom Driver
3. Let meat rest and account for carryover cooking.
Always let your beef rest after cooking and before slicing. We’ve all noticed that when we cook a piece of meat, it shrinks in size. That’s because the muscle fibers have tightened and water has moved within the meat. If you cut into the meat too soon, you will lose juicy goodness. Resting time allows the fibers to relax and allows the water to be reabsorbed back into the meat fibers, therefore retaining moisture and tenderness. Meat cooked at higher temps needs a longer resting period.
When you remove the meat from hight heat, it will continue to cook as it rests and cools down. This final stage in the cooking process is known as carryover cooking. Generally speaking, if you’re preparing a large roast or using high heat, you should remove the meat from the heat source 10 degrees before the goal temperature. For thinner cuts or moderate heat, remove the meat 5 degrees ahead of time. Just make sure you check the temperature before slicing and eating in order to make sure your in the safe zone.
4. Cut against the grain.
This is the simplest, smartest trick. Always make sure you cut against the grain (grain meaning the direction of the muscle fibers). This causes muscle and tissue fibers to be shortened and makes the meat easier more tender to chew.
5. Invest in high-quality steak knives.
Do yourself, and your company, a favor and purchase sharp, serrated knives. This makes beef easier to slice, which makes it seem more tender, if nothing else. Steak that cannot be cut into reasonable-sized bites is going to be more difficult to chew no matter how tender it is. And hey, you’ve made it to the table with your tenderized steak—don’t sell yourself short on the cutlery.
FAQs
Force: Pounding, Massaging, Cutting, and More
Mallets and meat pounders, for example, can be used to hammer steaks and thin slices of meat; the heavy force from banging the meat breaks up the connective tissue and collagen around the muscle fibers, causing the muscle fibers to separate and the meat to be more tender.
How can I tenderize a tough cut of beef? ›
Force: Pounding, Massaging, Cutting, and More
Mallets and meat pounders, for example, can be used to hammer steaks and thin slices of meat; the heavy force from banging the meat breaks up the connective tissue and collagen around the muscle fibers, causing the muscle fibers to separate and the meat to be more tender.
What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›
Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.
How do you make beef so soft and tender? ›
There are a few methods, but this is the easiest way: Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts. Toss with fingers, leave for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat off excess water.
How to make cheap cuts of beef tender? ›
To do this, you either briefly submerge smaller pieces of beef in a solution of baking soda and water or rub larger pieces with baking soda and let them rest in the refrigerator for a few hours before rinsing and proceeding with cooking.
What is the best homemade meat tenderizer? ›
Simply soak your beef cuts in these natural tenderisers before cooking, and we guarantee the beef will be fall-apart tender!
- 1) Tea. Tea contains tannins, which are a natural tenderiser. ...
- 2) Coffee. ...
- 3) Cola. ...
- 4) Pineapple, pawpaw, figs, kiwis. ...
- 5) Ginger. ...
- 6) Baking Soda. ...
- 7) Vinegar. ...
- 8) Beer or wine.
Mattison emphasizes to make sure not to overdo the amount of baking soda you use because it can easily over-tenderize the meat. Carefully rub the baking soda into the meat's surface before moving it to a zip-top bag or glass bowl. From there, leave it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
What does Texas Roadhouse do to make their steaks so tender? ›
How does Texas Roadhouse tenderise their steaks? Season each side of the steak well with the seasoning and set aside to rest for about 40 minutes. This causes the salt to infiltrate the surface (through osmosis) and actually aids in the breakdown of muscle fibres, resulting in more tender meat.
What do you soak meat in to tenderize it? ›
Make a marinade with acidic components—such as citrus juice, buttermilk, yogurt, wine, vinegar or soda—to help break down tough connective tissue and muscle fibers.
What are the 4 ways to tenderize beef? ›
How to Tenderize a Tough Cut of Meat
- Pound it out. Pounding softens and tenderizes meat, making it easier to cut and eat. ...
- Use salt. ...
- Use an acidic marinade. ...
- Use kiwi, papaya, or pineapple. ...
- Score it. ...
- Slow cook it.
In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.
What is velveting meat? ›
Velveting meat—the practice of marinating slices of meat in egg white, wine, and cornstarch—is a Chinese cooking technique that we've covered on Serious Eats before. Typically, after the meat is marinated, it is quickly blanched in a bath of hot oil and then drained, at which point it's ready to be stir-fried.
How can you Tenderise a naturally tough cut of beef? ›
8 Simple Ways to Make Tough Meat Tender
- Physically tenderize the meat. ...
- Use a marinade. ...
- Don't forget the salt. ...
- Let it come up to room temperature. ...
- Cook it low-and-slow. ...
- Hit the right internal temperature. ...
- Rest your meat. ...
- Slice against the grain.
You could also reach for some tenderizing agents, like Papin or pineapple juice. Both of those contain enzymes that denature proteins, meaning it breaks them down, tenderizing the meat.
What is one rule for cooking less tender cuts of meat? ›
Recommended Cooking Methods for Tough Cuts:
Slow Cooking: Using a crockpot or oven set on a low temperature is ideal for cuts like brisket and round. This method allows the heat to slowly permeate the meat, breaking down tough tissues without drying it out.
Can you make tough meat tender again? ›
Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat. It adds moisture, but it also cooks the meat.
What can I soak my steaks in to make them tender? ›
As well as acid, enzymes found in fruits like pineapple, kiwi, mangoes, and papaya disrupt the molecular structure of meat's connective tissue. Adding puréed fruit to your marinade turns tough and chewy meat tender and juicy.
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.
