How To Make Meat Even More Tender: 6 Proven Ways

We talk about six ingredients that will help cook juicy and tender meat with a crispy crust.

We talk about six ingredients that will help cook juicy and tender meat with a crispy crust.

 

1. Salt

You probably know that salt draws liquid from most foods - vegetables, mushrooms, herbs. Meat is no exception; that is why it is important to know exactly when it should be salted. It is recommended to salt the meat at the end or even after cooking, then the juice will remain inside and evenly distributed over the fibers. The type of salt does not matter much, but it is best to take fine sea salt. Do not get carried away: the meat will not become tenderer if you oversalt it. The optimal amount of salt is about a teaspoon per 1 kilogram of meat.

2. Lemon juice

 

Acid will help to make the meat more tender - it is best to use citric acid. You can add it to a marinade, gravy, or spread lemon slices directly on the meat while baking. Make sure that the lemon flavor is not too strong, otherwise the taste of the meat will not fully reveal. Lemon juice can be added at any time during cooking: pour it over the meat during roasting, lightly sprinkle the steak during frying in a pan, or add it to the marinade .

3. Mustard

 

Mustard is a unique addition, as it opens up the taste of any dish in a completely new way: salad, sauce and all types of meat. For example, you can add Dijon mustard just to a sauce, gravy, or marinade. Or completely grease the meat with mustard and leave to marinate for several hours. It can also be used while roasting meat - just add mustard to the batter.

4. Alcohol

Alcohol makes the meat softer and more tender, and the taste of each individual drink perfectly complements the taste of meat. The best option would be to add one or two glasses of vodka or cognac to the marinade, roast or meat stew. Such meat can be safely given to children: during cooking, the alcohol will evaporate. Other drinks that are popular are wine and whiskey. 

5. Bow

 

A wonderful contrast to the taste of meat is the slight bitterness of the onion. But this vegetable will help not only to complement the taste of meat, but also to make it more tender. To do this, just take a few onions, salt and spices. Onions can be grated, passed through a meat grinder or finely chopped, then salt, add some favorite spices and marinate the meat in this mixture for several hours. An exquisite sour note and an incredibly delicate structure are guaranteed!

6. Starch

The dream of every housewife is juicy meat with a golden crispy crust. Such a crust can be achieved by dissolving a little starch in water and leaving the meat in this solution for 20-30 minutes. The starch is absorbed into the top layer of the meat and forms a crispy crust during baking or frying. She will not allow the juice to flow out, the main thing is not to pierce the crust unnecessarily.