The ultimate guide to making meat tender and juicy every time

How to tenderise the meat so that it falls apart even under a gentle fork press? The matter is much easier than it might seem. Thanks to these simple methods, you'll say goodbye to tough, sinewy, and rubbery bites forever.

What is meat tenderising, really? In this process, it's about loosening the muscle fibres, and this can be done both by mechanical and chemical methods.

Mechanical methods include, for example, pounding or piercing, which physically tear the fibres in the meat. A lightly pounded neck before grilling will surely be more tender than a grilled piece straight from the knife.

The tenderness of meat also increases by piercing it with a fork or another tool. Additionally, such prepared meat absorbs marinades more strongly. However, it is worth bearing in mind not to overdo the number of piercings, as tearing the fibres can result in juice leakage, which in turn takes away the meat's flavour and juiciness.

A commonly used and effective method of tenderising meat is long simmering. This is a great way to prepare a stew, as long-cooked pieces of meat in the sauce become tender, flavourful, and aromatic while also thickening the sauce due to the fat, cartilage, or tissues. It's also worth mentioning that these less "prestigious" pieces of meat are best suited for simmering, as they contain more membranes and tendons, which become tender during long simmering.

A way to tenderise meat is also to use the chemical method, specifically marinades, which each of us can prepare at home. And a good meat marinade is not only a mix of favourite spices and fats. To prepare meat so that after cooking, it is tender and soft, you should use an acidic or enzymatic marinade.

ACIDIC MARINADES

Acids break down the protein present in the meat, making it tender and soft. Marinating in an acidic marinade should last 1-2 hours for small pieces, up to a maximum of 5 if we are dealing with large portions. Do not marinate the meat in an acidic marinade for too long, as we will get the opposite effect - it will become dry.

To prepare an acidic marinade, we use our favourite spices and other ingredients, but its main element is an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, wine (both white and red), vinegar (wine, rice, balsamic, or apple), canned tomatoes, yoghurt (but also kefir, buttermilk), mustard, as well as pineapple or orange juice.

ENZYMATIC MARINADES

Enzymatic marinades are based on ingredients containing proteolytic enzymes, which break down proteins in the meat, which - as we already know - makes it soft and juicy. As with the acidic marinade, the enzymatic one should also not be used for too long, as it may make the meat mushy or gelatinous. For small pieces, the marinating time should be 1-2 hours, while the large ones should spend about 3 hours marinating.

Examples of products that contain protein-degrading enzymes and can form the base of tenderising marinades are pineapple, which contains an enzyme called bromelain, papaya (contains the enzyme papain), kiwi (enzyme actinidin), ginger (enzyme zingibain), mango, or avocado. Interestingly, these fruits should not be added to gelatin-based jellies, as the indicated enzymes will prevent it from setting.