Pounding the Meat Cover the meat with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and be sure that it extends beyond the edges of the meat to catch any splatters. This barrier also prevents the mallet from sticking to the meat and tearing it.
It does a few things. First it controls spatter so you don't have any raw chicken liquid anywhere. Second it helps keep the meat from tearing so you have a thin piece instead of little rags of meat. And last, if you spray a mist of water over the top of the plastic it is easier to flatten.
The third reason is to make the meat thinner. It's best to put the meat between sheets of waxed or parchment paper or plastic wrap. The pounding is usually done with a meat mallet or heavy skillet. For years I used cast-iron skillets. Whenever I started thwacking away, children and pets would rush from the kitchen.
The plastic wrap helps keep the foil tight against the surface of the meat, while the foil prevents air from coming in contact with it. Let your meat defrost in the refrigerator.
If you don't want to use plastic wrap, you can also use a large ziplock bag. You also don't need to use a mallet, and can use a rolling pin or skillet to do the job. I actually use a silicone bag to hold meat I am flattening. The bags wash up easily, and some brands can go in the dishwasher.
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.
If your local grocer doesn't have a deli counter where you can bring your own container for meat, consider visiting a butcher shop. If you don't have one nearby and you can't bring your own container to the deli counter, ask for paper wrapping.
The night before you are going to cook the prime rib, unwrap the roast and season the roast generously with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper or herb salt. Let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator. This will dry out the surface, which makes it easier to get a nice brown color on the roast.
The purpose of this common restaurant technique is to seal moisture into the food. However, the hack had a few viewers scratching their heads and screaming in the comment section. Mostly, we heard slightly more colorful variations on the assertion, “You can't put plastic wrap in the oven!”
Food grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers may also be used to marinate food.
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.
To cook it until it's so tender it falls apart, you'll need to choose a joint like chuck and blade or beef brisket and either braise, slow roast or slow cook it for at least a couple of hours.
Juicier Meat
Wrapping brisket locks in the delicious and tenderizing natural juices of the meat.
The Saran Brands website states the brand name wrap can be microwaved, but not heated in the oven. Unless stated on the product safe for oven or microwave, food plastic wrap is not recommended to be heated. Untreated plastic wrap can release chemicals and melt when heated.
That's because aluminum foil is an excellent conductor of heat, so it can prevent heat and moisture escaping from food (which will ensure a delicious meal), according to Stephen Chavez, chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education.
Cook the wrapped meat at a low and steady temperature, similar to sous vide. This could be done in an oven set to a low temperature, on the grill, or even in a slow cooker. The key is to maintain a gentle cooking environment. When using plastic wrap for cooking, it's essential to be mindful of safety.
Let it sit on the counter for 4 hours before cooking. Bringing the roast to room temperature is especially important here because a cold roast will take much longer to cook.
I roasted the meat for 20 minutes at 500 degrees to get a nice crust, then I reduced the oven temp to 325 and continued roasting for another two hours. This gave us meat which was almost well done. It was still absolutely delicious this way, and perfectly flavored and juicy.
A low and slow start delivers perfectly evenly cooked medium-rare doneness all the way from edge to center. Blasting the prime rib with heat just before serving gives you a crackling-crisp, browned crust.
Many plastic cling wraps are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which often contains plasticisers like phthalates. Studies show that these chemicals can leach into foods, particularly those with high-fat content, like meats or cheeses.”
When purchasing meat and poultry, it's important to use your senses of touch, smell and sight. Always make sure the meat is firm to the touch, and check that they packaging doesn't have any tears, holes or excessive amounts of liquid. It should also be cold to the touch and have no odor.