40
votes
How to pound chicken breasts without a meat tenderizer?
This might seem silly but, . . . I use my fist. I always cover my chicken with plastic wrap to contain the mess before I pound it. You can also glove up instead/as well.
I have found that punching it ...
- 3,022
35
votes
How to pound chicken breasts without a meat tenderizer?
Anything flat, non-breakable, and reasonably heavy would work: rubber mallet, rolling pin, flat-bottomed wooden bowl, etc. I would suggest protecting the meat and implement from one another with ...
- 1,091
15
votes
How to pound chicken breasts without a meat tenderizer?
Put breast between baking paper, roll like dough with a rolling pin. If you have any spices/herbs/salt/pepper to add you can sprinkle then mid rolling as this will push them inside meat.
- 4,121
11
votes
Accepted
Why is the chicken in Indian food so tender?
It is a combination of the marinade (with yoghurt and lemon juice probably being the main factors in the tenderness) and the hot, fast cooking in the tandoor, further enhanced by the use of metal ...
- 43.5k
9
votes
Accepted
Does honey actually tenderize meat?
Based on the description given in the manga (specifically "I rubbed it on the meat before boiling" [emphasis mine]) I would guess that this is not actually an effect of tenderization at all. Instead, ...
- 14.9k
9
votes
Will uncooked meat tenderise or toughen while stored in a refrigerator?
While dry aging does impact texture, storing a portion that you might purchase for yourself, or a small number of people, in the refrigerator for a few days will not impact the final texture. Instead,...
- 73.3k
8
votes
Accepted
Why is beef butchered in small scale almost subsistence farming so tough that even tenderloin is only good for ground beef?
Having butchered thousands of animals since I was young (cows, sheep, goats, deer, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, emus, rabbits, snakes) the issue of toughness in meat can be caused by a lot ...
- 185
7
votes
Soaking beef in water
In the west beef are not as "fresh" as in asia. The meat in the supermarket in the west most likely have been hanged and drained of any blood for several days. (Hence, there's no need to wash the ...
- 71
6
votes
Accepted
What ingredients to use to prevent steak from drying out on the grill?
I was going to address your post point-by-point, but I think it's probably better to start over. It sounds like you've done quite a bit of workshopping here. I disagree with a number of the conclusion'...
- 3,063
6
votes
How to tenderize squid for ika nigiri?
Squid gets rubbery when overcooked and it happens really fast, so you should just blanch it for just a few seconds and immediately cool it in icy water. I used to score the squid on the outside (with ...
- 4,794
5
votes
How to tenderize large squid?
Papaya is a known tenderizer for octopus, squid, and other meats. Another option is papaya enzyme tablets found in the supplement section of drugstore. Either can be added to the recipe while ...
- 183
5
votes
Curled, Tender Beef in Noodle Soups (esp. Vietnamese)
In your case it's probably brisket or flank steak, which are stringier cuts and are therefore more prone to curling. Slicing them very thin lets them cook through after a quick dunk in the hot broth ...
- 296
4
votes
Accepted
Chemical meat tenderizers
The tenderizing actions for all of the examples you've listed are different, and some are entirely debatable. Tenderizing isn't about specific ingredients; it covers a whole range of different ...
- 14.9k
4
votes
How to pound chicken breasts without a meat tenderizer?
I've been known to cover with plastic wrap, lay my chef's knife flat along a piece of chicken, and then hit the flat of the blade with the heel of my hand. Obviously, stay away from the sharp / ...
- 477
4
votes
How to pound chicken breasts without a meat tenderizer?
We designed ourselves a wooden block (remains from a 2" laminate floor joist) about 8" by 8", drilled a hole in one side, and screwed in a handle. When we use it, we wrap it around and around with ...
- 181
4
votes
Accepted
Why cook octopus with an onion?
I would suspect for the same reason you often marinade steak or meats in onions.
According to the answer onions contain proteolytic enzymes which are natural tenderizers, by breaking down proteins ...
- 2,168
4
votes
Accepted
Tenderizing vegetables (chili pepper)
Roast in a hot oven, over grill or direct flame, or in cast iron. Whole...until skin is dark and blistered. Remove from heat carefully. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic. Allow to cool. The ...
- 73.3k
3
votes
How does pineapple tenderize meat?
Update: After reading a bit on this, (and also fully reading the question) I found that there have been papers written on the effects of acid baths on meat tenderness as well as enzyme treatment:
...
3
votes
Is there any other substitute of papaya paste to tenderize the mutton or beef?
Your closest substitute will be pineapple, either juice or puree, which is much more widely available worldwide than green papaya.
Papaya contains a natural tenderizer called papain; pineapple ...
- 59k
3
votes
How should baking soda be used to tenderize meat?
I wondered much the same how the Chinese takeaway got their chicken so tender and googled the question and found the answer below.
I cannot credit the writer as I did not keep a note, but I can tell ...
- 31
3
votes
help me identify the factors which make grass-fed beef tender or tough
Some breeds are more tender.
Aging beef for at least 2 weeks allows the protease enzyme naturally present in beef to relax rigor mortis.
The way the beef is chilled initially can cause something ...
3
votes
How to tenderize large squid?
In Africa they tenderize them by beating them with rocks, like you would do with a steak tenderizer. A bit of manual labour, but well worth the effort. The by far most tender calamare I've ever had ...
- 31
3
votes
Does cooking octopus in salt or pastry crust produce juicy octopus?
ok, so octopus either needs to be cooked for a very short amount of time (just until it's barely cooked through) to keep the muscle tissue tender or for a very long amount of time (2 hrs plus) to ...
- 3,063
3
votes
How is Kiwifruit used to tenderize Meat?
It's a great steak tenderiser, if you mix with some garlic, wasabi/pili-pili/chili and worcestershire also a great marinade.
Most important part is to tap it dry from the kiwi (mix) within 45 minutes ...
- 31
3
votes
How to pound chicken breasts without a meat tenderizer?
I've seen my mother use a Corningware plate or saucer in place of a meat tenderizer. She would just hold the plate sideways and pound out the meat with the edge of the plate.
- 131
3
votes
Accepted
Why do some meats get tougher with higher temperatures, while others become more tender?
This is a product of the cut more than of the animal. You're comparing shank with steak, which are two very different cuts. In general, to get a tender cut with high temperature cooking you want a ...
- 3,045
3
votes
Accepted
How long to sous vide a tough cut of steak?
Collagen (type-1, for the scientific folks), one of the major connective tissues in beef, begins to dissolve into gelatin starting at 55°C (131°F) but very slowly, long enough for the meat itself to ...
3
votes
Will uncooked meat tenderise or toughen while stored in a refrigerator?
This depends on many factors. From what I've seen, meat tenderness vs. toughness depends mainly on the amount of shock you create when cooking it.
The main effects I've observed:
if you put the super-...
- 350
3
votes
Accepted
Steak still tough despite using methods to tenderize it
You have a couple of things working against you for tenderness. First, grass-fed beef is often less tender that beef fed on grains. Second, the sirloin is not the most tender cut regardless of what ...
- 73.3k
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