On either a cutting board or some other cleanable surface, lay down a bed of salt the size of your steak. Place the steak on top, and completely cover it with salt. Let the salt work on the meat for 15 minutes ( NEVER go longer than 20 minutes). Rinse the salt off the steak thoroughly and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Steak Tenderizing Method: Pounding with a Meat Mallet
You'll want to use a meat mallet that has a coarse side on the end (not the flat side) before pounding the steak with a good amount of force. You don't want to do it so hard that you're completely flattening the meat.
No! The main reasons to marinate steak before cooking is to add flavor and tenderness. NY Steaks are already flavorful and tender.
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.
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.
Sauces: You'll need Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Hot sauce is optional, but it's a great addition for people who appreciate a little heat. Lemon juice: The acidity from the lemon juice cuts through the other flavors, adding welcome brightness. The acid also helps tenderize the meat even further.
Choose your tenderizer—salt, baking soda, citrus, or vinegar.
Cooking Method: Overcooking can cause the steak to lose its moisture, making it dry and chewy. Conversely, undercooking can make certain cuts feel tough. Aging Process: Steaks that are not properly aged can be less tender.
Take Texas Roadhouse for instance: Their steaks get generously rubbed with a sweet yet smoky seasoning before the meat is grilled. This creates juicy meat with a spiced crust that packs a flavor punch with each bite.
When you think of tenderizing meat, you might envision a mallet or a special marinade, but salt can be just as effective—if not more so. Salt's ability to draw moisture, break down proteins, and enhance flavor makes it an excellent tool for tenderizing meats, whether you're cooking a steak, chicken, or pork.
Milk may seem like an unexpected choice for marinating steak, but it's a great option when you want to retain the natural flavors of high-quality meat without overpowering them. Milk proteins, like casein, help to gently break down the muscle fibers, resulting in a tender cut of steak.
In short, yes! A little baking soda can be used to tenderize meat.
You can velvet meat and make it melt-in-your-mouth tender by quickly tossing chunks of beef or chicken in about ¾ tsp of baking soda for about 15 minutes before your next stir fry, then rinse and pat the meat dry before putting in the pan.
Most often, it's an instruction to take your meat out of the refrigerator anywhere from 20 minutes to one hour before cooking to bring up the temperature of the center of the meat before it cooks, so your steak, chicken, or seafood like salmon cooks more evenly.
Tenderizing The Steaks
The first method, and arguably the fastest, is using a fork. Just go over the entire steak, puncturing holes all over. Then flip and repeat. The idea is that opening lots of holes helps moisture escape during cooking.
Lean, tender NY Strip is a classic favorite–and though it's perfectly delicious seasoned with just salt and pepper, a good marinade can take it to a whole other level.
Regular or apple cider vinegar, wine or beer, lemon or lime juice, buttermilk or yogurt contain tenderizing acids. As well as acid, enzymes found in fruits like pineapple, kiwi, mangoes, and papaya disrupt the molecular structure of meat's connective tissue.
High heat for a long period will dry out meat. You want to sear the meat on all sides quickly, which will keep the juices from flowing out. Make sure meat is room-temperature before cooking. Let the cooked steak rest at least 5 minutes before slicing or serving, or the hot inner juice will bleed out quickly.
Too much salt
No salt can render food almost inedible, too much salt and you have the same result. In a marinade, it is better to err on the side of little to no salt. Salt pulls moisture out of flesh so you could wind up with a tough and dry piece of meat.
With each slice revealing tender, juicy meat infused with rich buttery goodness, you'll savor every moment of this budget-friendly indulgence. The four key steps we're using to improve a cheap steak are dry brining, butter basting, finishing at the proper internal temperature and slicing the meat thin.