How to Tenderize Steak: 5 Ways to Tenderize Steak in 2022

You must learn how to respect the exquisite cuts of meat that delight your table if you want to know how to tenderise steak like a Master Chef. There are several ways to tenderise steak, each suitable for a particular type of cooking.

 

Steak tenderisation requires careful handling. The fat and connective tissue that gives your steak its distinct flavour shouldn't be destroyed, and it requires some dexterity to extract all of its flavours.

 

Start with the easiest techniques and gradually increase your level of risk-taking as you gain experience with handling interesting or unique dishes.

Five Methods to Tenderize Steak

The ability to transform a cheap steak into a delicious supper is one of the best things about knowing how to tenderise a tough steak. With some meat cuts, it is true that you get what you pay for, but individuals on a tight budget also deserve to master their steaks without going beyond.

1. Pound That Cut

Children who have cooking-loving parents are frequently the first to learn how to tenderise meat. The toughest steak cuts, such as round, skirt, flank, bottom sirloin, chuck, and strip, are frequently so unyielding that they require physical tenderising.

 

Although you would have assumed that all this hammering was doing was preparing the meat for a traditional carpaccio, the procedure actually spreads the fibres to make the steak softer to chew.

 

Do not be reluctant to ask for these challenging cuts at the butcher counter. As a reward, you can pound till your heart's content and make delicious, original recipes. All you have to do is buy a metal tenderizer at your neighbourhood shop.

 

There is a flattened side and a notched side to these meat hammers. While flattening the meat, use the studded side to break it down. The flat side makes it a fantastic tool for spreading it out, cutting fresh fillets, and fast cooking these over high heat.

 

When creating tacos or fajitas, the pounding technique is beneficial. If you're preparing a "black and blue" salad, sliced strips for fondue trays, buffets, or sandwiches, you may indeed tenderise steaks in this way.

 

You should trim off extra fat even when you are tenderising the steak. Additionally, it's better to refrain from pressing the steak so hard that the connective tissue is completely destroyed.

 

Using a plastic wrap on both sides of a wooden cutting board while pounding the meat is another suggestion. When there is plastic wrap between the hammer and the steak, the meat is considerably less likely to be damaged. Juices that could otherwise spill onto the counter are also collected (speaking of juices not spilling, you might want to see your wife's/partner's reaction).

2. Indeed, Salt Helps to Tenderise Steak

Salt draws wetness from the steak, and the resulting mixture produces a straightforward brine. On the counter, place the steak and liberally sprinkle salt over it. On a piece of plastic wrap, flip the steak over and repeat.

 

The steak should be properly wrapped and placed in a sealed storage bag before being refrigerated for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. A natural brine will emerge because the salt coating removes so much moisture. At this point, you can add herbs and spices to the brine to further tenderise the steak before cooking.

 

Because it brings out the natural flavours of the meat, salting steak enhances all cuts of meat. A salt rub may make you reconsider the notion that it is improper to alter a pricey cut like a Delmonico, which is held by certain purists.

3. Prepare an Incredible Steak Sauce and Marinade

When you know how to make a simple marinade, learning how to make steak tender doesn't require anything complicated. A marinade is an uncooked sauce; unlike brines, it does not contain salt.

You can then add some or all of the remaining marinade to a skillet with the steak scraps once the grilling is finished. You may make a beautiful sauce to serve on the side by allowing the mixture to simmer and then add heavy cream.

 

Start your marinade with an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar are common options. Place the steak in a bag that can be sealed, add enough vinegar to cover about half of the steak, and season to taste (perhaps herbs, lemon or lime juice, and spices).

 

Allow the steak to sit in the marinade for two hours before cooking. Put the steaks in the refrigerator so that they may stay sealed and have a better chance of soaking up the seasonings. Conversely, if you marinate your steak for an extended period of time, it could become too mushy and disintegrate in the pan.

 

Moreover, you could wish to marinate your steak, grill it, and then baste it with additional marinade liquid. Infusing seasonings into the charred outside portions of your steaks while they cook is a great method to give them extra flavour.

4. Give Your Steaks a Rest and Try to Unwind

It would be a mistake to not let the steaks rest after cooking. Although it is a notion you often hear on corny culinary shows, it is accurate.

 

Why is it important to rest the steak? It's all about the taste.

 

When using a brine, marinade, or other flavours that will absorb into the flesh, many people believe that resting a steak is not necessary. Although the concept is almost correct, there is more to it.

 

If you don't rest your steaks, the wonderful goodness you've worked so hard to achieve will be lost when you cut into the meat because the internal juices escape.

 

A steak should rest for at least five to 10 minutes before being carved, according to traditional wisdom. Undoubtedly, we find the five-minute-per-inch rule to be useful and works best. Five minutes for a steak that is an inch thick, ten minutes for one that is two inches thick, and so forth.

 

5. Keep It Slow and Stay Low

Finding a simple method to tenderise a steak does not have to be difficult. The best BBQ advice is to cook food "low and slow." Because you don't have to watch over the meat while it cooks, the procedure delivers the most delicate meat attainable.

 

Here is a quick technique for low and slow-cooked steak:

 

• Your steak should be cut and seasoned before being placed in a baking dish with marinade liquid, covered with foil, and baked at 275 degrees.
• A dry rub can be used in place of the marinating liquid.

 

For four to five hours, bake it at that temperature. When you unwrap the foil, the steak will be covered in a thick sauce with condensation on the bottom.

 

On a grill with the burners set to the lowest level, you can also cook in this manner. Alternately, place the steak in a skillet with butter and seasonings, cover it with a lid, and cook for a few hours.

 

Low and slow cooking produces a flavorful, crunchy exterior that caramelises as it cooks.

 

Conclusion

 

It's simpler than you may imagine learning how to adequately tenderise a steak, and it has nothing to do with the price or cut of the meat. To prepare the tastiest steak recipes, you can apply any one of these suggestions. Without exerting too much effort or requiring formal culinary training, anyone can prepare great steak.

 

We also suggest watching this video for some further intriguing approaches:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahe9xtwwUlA&feature=emb_title

 

That is all there is to learn how to tenderise a tough steak. Select a method for tenderising the meat, give the steaks plenty of rest before cutting and serving, and prepare a sauce while you wait.

 

Next, have fun.