#4 - Wrap the Meat to Lock In Moisture This will prevent moisture from escaping and help maintain temperature throughout the cooking session. Make sure to wrap the meat so that it is totally covered and there are no gaps where steam could escape. Aluminum and butcher paper are both very effective for wrapping meat.
Marinating: Soak the meat in a marinade for several hours or overnight. Use ingredients like olive oil, vinegar, citrus juice, or yogurt, which can help tenderize and add moisture. Braising: Cook the meat slowly in a covered pot with a bit of liquid (broth, wine, or sauce) over low heat.
Marinades – Oil-based marinades help tenderize the meat, layers flavour and add moisture. Dry and Wet Brines – Brines not only boost the moisture, but also brines increase the meat's cellular ability to retain fluid.
Don't overcook it. Most meat dries out because it is cooked too long. Using a marinade, or a mop on the meat while it is cooking can help to reduce dryness. Also putting a pan of water in next to the meat (don't put the meat in the water) will keep moister in your oven, grill or smoker while the meat cooks.
Broth or Stock: Simmer the dry meat in broth or stock on low heat until it absorbs moisture. Marinades: Soak the meat in a marinade (oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices) for several hours or overnight. Water: If the meat is not too dry, soaking it in water for a few hours can help rehydrate it.
"If the meat is dry — and I mean any meat, from Thanksgiving turkey to steak — you can slice it against the grain and put it in a bath of stock or bone broth," Rachael says. "Understand it's not going to taste like a juicy, medium rare steak.
To keep your steak moist, you can also splash a little beef broth or water on the meat before you put it in the oven. Of course, it will never be quite as juicy as when you first cooked it, but it will still be tasty especially when paired with one of our steak sauce recipes!
Salt both sides liberally 30–40 minutes before grilling. During this time, the salt is drawing moisture from the inside out, after which the steak will draw the moisture back in. Don't miss this step because it will help make your steak flavorful and tender.
How do I prevent meat from drying out during cooking? To prevent drying, use methods like marinating, basting, or cooking with moisture (braising or slow cooking). Also, avoid overcooking by using a meat thermometer to ensure precise doneness.
Cover Loosely With Foil…
During the resting period, cover meat loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the surface from cooling off too fast. Make sure the meat is on a cutting board with a “gravy groove” or a rimmed baking sheet pan to catch any juices.
Many people think due to osmosis that salt will draw water out of any ingredient, resulting in dry and toughened meat. However, with time salt will dissolve protein strands allowing the meat retain water as they cook – this is what makes meat tender and juicy!
Add the lost weight from dehydration in grams of water to the dry meat. For a simple rehydration, just completely cover the meat in hot water and wait for it to be absorbed. It will take about ten minutes depending on how much you're rehydrating at one time.
Sear the meat before cooking it in the oven
This may change for the cut meat but, usually, searing the meat before putting it in the oven will help to keep the juices inside. If you are cooking a big piece of meat like roast beef or similar with sauce, make sure you pour some sauce in while cooking it to keep it juicy.
Marinating. Marinating your meat before cooking can help to seal in moisture and flavour. It can also help to tenderise your meat. For reference, some of the best cuts of beef (e.g. Ribeye, Sirloin and Fillet steaks) only need to marinate for 20-60 minutes.
When cooking a roast in the oven, keep it uncovered until roasted to the desired doneness. After removing from the oven, tent with foil and let stand 15 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, preventing them from draining out during carving—and preventing dry, disappointing meat.
It sounds odd, but meat can become dry even when it's cooked in moisture. The most likely cause of this is overcooking. As meat cooks, its muscle fibers shorten in both length and width and eventually squeeze out the juices they normally hold. As you can imagine, this leaves meat dry, and often stringy in texture.
Overcooking is one of the leading causes of a tough, dry piece of meat. The best way to ensure a juicy cut is to slow-cook it in a slow cooker, oven, smoker, or pot. If you have the time, slow-cooking is the best way to cook lean meat. After an all-day slow-cooking session, the meat will turn out juicy and tender.
Before adding the steak
If the temperature is lower, water will not evaporate (which happens starting at 100 degrees) before detaching from the meat, and that chemical reaction cannot occur.
Heat is the number-one concern. Bacteria grows rapidly in a carcass, especially if it's allowed to stay warm. Meat begins to spoil above 40° Fahrenheit. The higher the temperature—and the longer the meat is exposed—the greater the chance of spoilage.
Add a little vinegar or lemon juice, which can help add moisture back into the meat. If your roast beef is beyond rehydration efforts and you're wondering what to do with tough cooked beef, the last option is to shred it and serve it with a thick, creamy sauce.
If not using oil, then actually pat it down with paper towels before seasoning to remove any excess moisture. Don't season too long before cooking – More science here. Salt on the surface of the steak will draw moisture out to the surface, again affecting the Maillard browning.
Certain salts, such as the rock salt used to melt ice, are very efficient at absorbing moisture, including water vapor. And the best among them is lithium chloride, a salt that is capable of absorbing over 10 times its own mass in moisture.
Add moisture.
Place the steak in a microwave safe container and add any jus (pan drippings). If your steak doesn't have any juices leftover, add a splash of beef stock to keep it from drying out.
Regularly basting your meat with its own juices or a flavorful liquid is another effective way to keep it moist. Whether you choose to use a brush, mop, or spritz bottle, adding moisture at regular intervals during cooking helps prevent the meat from drying out.