Tips to Tenderize Meat

There's nothing more savory to the taste buds than a very tender beef, pork or lamb entree.  Whether you desire tender, juicy steaks or a beef or lamb roast that melts in the mouth, there are several methods to tenderize meat and achieve the perfect dish.

Tenderizing meat offers a number of benefits.  The more tender the meat is, the easier it is to digest.  Digestion starts during the chewing process as saliva begins to break down the meat. With tougher, meat this process is much more difficult from start to finish.  Tender meat is easy and pleasant to chew.  Tough meat is difficult to chew and takes much longer, thus, causing your jaws to feel achy.  Eating tender meat, however, is easier on your teeth and gums and is less likely to get caught in between your teeth!  Lastly, the greatest benefit is that tender meat is far more flavorful than tough meat.  The juiciness of a tender steak or slice of roast makes all the effort of tenderizing worth it for you and your guests.

Beef Tenderizing Tips

Beef can be tenderized using a number of seasonings and methods.  Tenderizing can be accomplished either during beef preparation or in how you cook it.  If tenderizing a steak, double wrap the steak in plastic wrap and beat with a wood or metal meat mallet for several minutes.  This breaks down the fibers of the meat to change the texture and add tenderness.  Next, add tenderizing spices or a rub to the meat and then cover and pound again with the meat mallet.  The second round will force the spices into the meat.  You can also tenderize a steak by marinating it overnight.  For steaks that are already tender (more expensive cuts), only marinate for about two hours.  For cheaper, tough steaks, marinate for six to eight hours. After the tenderizing or marinating process, grill the steak on low heat or broil it to medium well.  Avoid charring the steak as this can cause it to be tough and will mask the delicious flavor of the steak.

Cube steak can be tenderized using a couple of methods.  When pan frying, sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic salt liberally on both sides of the steak.  Then coat both sides with flour.  Cook in canola oil or vegetable oil on medium high until slightly crisp. Then add water and allow to steam for at least 15 minutes.  You can add mushroom soup to the water and cook on low until a gravy has formed.  For crock pot cube steak use the same seasoning methods with salt, pepper, garlic salt and flour.  Pan fry in canola oil for just a minute on both sides until brown.  Then add the steaks and leftover oil mixture from the pan to the crock pot.  Fill with water just enough to cover the steaks and add more flour and seasonings to the water.  Stir occasionally and add more flour later if needed to thicken the gravy.  Cook for about eight hours on low.  This is delicious with rice or mashed potatoes!

Beef roasts can be oven-roasted with seasonings or slow cooked in beefy onion soup mix or cream of mushroom soup.  Some folks prefer water with salt and pepper or other seasonings.  Either way, the roast can be tender and juicy if slow cooked on low for at least eight to ten hours.

Pork Tenderizing Tips

Pork chops can be tenderized using similar methods as beef steaks, such as pounding with a mallet and using meat tenderizer or marinade.  Grill or pan fry for best results.  Pork loins and roasts can be tenderized with plain yogurt and the preferred seasonings overnight.  Believe it or not, yogurt is a great marinade that will not leave the pork mushy.

Ham is already flavorful, but it can be glazed with pineapple juice or any number of pineapple juice mixtures to add flavor and enhance tenderness.  To the juice you can add cane syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, garlic powder, cherry juice, confectioners' sugar and butter to create a delightful ham.  Or simply use a brown sugar and pineapple mixture.  Baste the ham before cooking and occasionally while cooking.  Cook on 325 degrees in an open roasting pan for as long as the package calls for.  Remove skin from the ham and baste again; then cook on 425 degrees for an additional 20 minutes.

For pork ribs, consider baking or slow cooking in a crock pot.  You can add country style ribs to a crock pot without water and cook on high for several hours for tender, juicy results.  Then, add barbecue sauce or other seasonings and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes on 400 degrees.  Or, cut the cooked ribs in small chunks and add the ribs and juice from the crock pot to rice while boiling.     

Lamb Tenderizing Tips

A major drawback for lamb is it tends to be a little on the tough side.  It must be tenderized to enjoy its full flavor.  Lamb can be tenderized similar to other meats.  Sprinkle meat tenderizer on lamb chops, roast, steak or ribs.  You can also create a tenderizing paste by mixing a tablespoon of water with a teaspoon of meat tenderizer.  Then the paste can be spread all over the meat instead of merely sprinkling it on.

Use a meat pounding tool as well as a fork to tenderize further.  In doing so, the meat will cook more evenly.  After taking the steps to tenderize the lamb, place the meat in a bag or dish with marinade sauce of choice.  Cover or seal and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for a day or so.  Marinating will also promote tenderness.  Marinade may contain garlic, olive oil, lemon or any popular lamb seasonings to suit your taste buds. 

You can also follow a crock pot or slow cooker recipe and cook the lamb for about eight hours on low heat. Add potato soup or another favorite type of creamy soup, a few vegetables, spices and water to the slow cooker for a delightful meal.  Check the slow cooker every couple of hours to make sure it doesn't dry out.  You can add a little more water as needed.

Lamb chops, leg of lamb, lamb roast, etc. can all be fixed with slow cooking methods to ensure a juicy, tender entree.  Your home-prepared lamb can be just as tender as those served in fancy restaurants if you take the time to tenderize and cook it properly.

Tenderizing any type of meat takes a little extra effort during meal preparation, but the mouth-watering flavor makes it worth every minute.  Your family or guests will complement you on a job well done and beg for your recipes and cooking secrets!

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