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The Kitchen Table

update on marinading meat

17 years ago

On the food channel (what else is there?) Alton Brown discussed this just a day or so. He said you never pound steak, it does not tenderize the meat, he had a cute gadget that you push down and many tiny knife type blade come out and actually cut the meat. I am going to look at my specialty store to find it. You can pound it to make it thinner, but not more tender.

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Comments (8)

dilly_dally
17 years ago
Interesting. I trust Alton Brown.

I had one of those push down, spring loaded, meat tenderizers and liked how it worked. Mine rusted. I had to throw it out. Something to check for when shopping for one.
glenda_al
17 years ago
The Deni Meat Tenderizer is easy to use and improves the taste and texture of any cut of beef, fish, or poultry. Just push the tenderizer over the top of the meat and let the razor sharp stainless steel blades do the work. By tenderizing beef, chicken, pork, lamb, venison, or fish, food will marinate faster and cook in no time.

Features:

Three rows of 16 stainless steel blades for a total of 48 blades.
For use on all cuts and grades of meat including pork, veal, lamb, venison, poultry, and fish.
Can be used on whole roasts, chickens, and turkeys.
Ideal for use when grilling, barbecuing, roasting, broiling, braising, and baking.
Less food shrinkage.
Protective plastic cover for storage and safety.
Reduces cooking time.
Marinate meats faster.
Dishwasher safe.
It works great and is only about $20-30. You can get this at the Deni website, Amazon and Shop.com
Related Discussions
LOOKING for: looking for marinade
Q
Comments (3)
Here's a simple, yet effective one by James Beard: 1/2 C burgundy wine 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. each rosemary and thyme 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper The primary function of oil is to facilitate the co-mingling of disparate flavors so as to become homogeneous. You can reduce the oil here by half if you want, but I would also cut the Worcestershire by half if you do. Or, you can try this. It's not a wine marinade but is it *really* good. The meat gets really tender but the flavors remain subtle, at least to my palate. 1 tsp. lemon zest 1/2 C lemon juice 1/3 C canola oil 2 Tbsp. sliced scallions w/tops 1 clove garlic, minced 4 tsp. sugar 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. Worcestershire 1 tsp. prepared mustard 1/8 tsp. pepper courtesy Omaha Steaks Delish! B
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Marinades for beef and chicken
Q
Comments (9)
Here is a Korean marinade that I use. Not as much oil as Nancy's, but because there is sugar, watch that it doesn't burn (ask me how I know....) Barbecues & Grilling - Bulgogi Marinade By Derrick Riches, About.com This is the traditional marinade recipe for Korean Bulgogi1, which is a marinated steak cut into strips and served up on lettuce leaves or rice. This is also a great marinade for most cuts of beef. Prep Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup sugar 3 tablespoons sake (or rice wine or sherry) 2 tablespoons sesame oil 8 cloves garlic, minced 4 scallions (green onions), minced 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Slightly heating the marinade may help it mix better. Note: To toast sesame seeds place them in a hot saute pan and gently toss until they start to brown. This takes just a few seconds. Pour off into a bowl. This marinade is used to make Bulgogi or Korean Sesame Beef. It can be served with a spicy dipping sauce. For chicken and salmon, Sunset magazine's Lime Chipotle sauce. A favorite here on the forum, and you can can it! This is also good just as a chip and dip side dish, but beware it goes fast. Lime-Chipotle Sauce 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup lime juice 1/2 cup honey 2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chilies in adobado sauce 3 tablespoons brown mustard 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice Season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce with grilled meats, poultry, and fish. Makes 1 1/2 cups. NOTE: IÂm afraid of the heat so I use 1 Tbsp of the chilies. I freeze the rest of the can in a ziplock and and chop off frozen pieces as needed for other recipes. I also double this recipe and can it in a BWB in Â½ pint jars for 15 minutes.
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talk to me about steak (marinade) please!
Q
Comments (18)
Loved your story, heaven! I'm sure your guys got a huge kick out of that. :) Here's a good basic marinade that you can fiddle with in a lot of different ways. STEAK MARINADE 1 T. oil 1 T. worcestershire sauce 1 T. soy sauce 1 T. balsamic vinegar (or you can change it up by using different types) 1 tsp. mustard (yellow, dijon, whatever you prefer) minced garlic (I add 1 clove, but we're not garlic fiends) salt, to taste (we think it's plenty salty enough because of the soy sauce so I don't add extra) freshly-ground black pepper, to taste If you're rushed for time or just feeling lazy, you can substitute a commercial garlic pepper blend for the fresh garlic and pepper. Or, as someone else mentioned, use the Montreal Steak Seasoning. Very good stuff. About cooking in the marinade... Most of them aren't suitable for that and are meant to be discarded once you're ready to pan-fry or broil the meat. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong about this, but unless there are specific instructions in the recipe to baste with the marinade as it cooks or for making a sauce of it, you need to pour it down the drain instead of into the skillet. :) sm
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meat and marinade
Q
Comments (9)
Just wanted to add a tip for those who like marinated meat, but don't feel they have the time. There is a little-known kitchen gizmo out there--VacuVin makes one--called an instant marinator. You put your meat and marinade in the container, pump the vacuump pump a few times, and the vacuum forces the fibers of the meat apart so the marinade completely soaks through in just seconds. It's not that expensive (I think I paid about $25 for mine). Saves a lot of time! Another marinating tip--for those who do have time to do it the old-fashioned way--if you marinate in a heavy duty ziplock bag, you only need a fraction of the marinade that you would in a hard container. AND, when it's time to cook the meat, you can remove it with tongs, and zip up the bag so that the marinade can be safely and neatly disposed of without contaminating anything in the kitchen, or putting your pets at risk.
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jannie
17 years ago
I use a barbeque fork. Alton would call that a "multi-tasker". The only thing I pound is chicken cutlets to make them uniformly thin for breading and frying.
pattico_gw
17 years ago
I didn't have any of the things here and Denny wanted to do it today...So I used red wine vinegar, and I poked it with a fork.

He is outside grilling them right now.

I'll let you know how they turn out...thanks for all the info.

patti
sandy_in_ia
17 years ago
Dean has been using the Jaccard Meat Tenderizer for years. The kids bought it for him for Christmas a bunch of years ago. Works great and you can throw it through the dishwasher! =) (probably aren't suppose to...but I do anyway) You do have to be careful with the thing...it CAN be dangerous!

Here is a link that might be useful: Jaccard Meat Tenderizer
lilliepad
17 years ago
Depends on the cut of steak Patti.If you are using a less tender cut like round or flank it is fine to use one of the tenderizers already mentioned,but those cuts are not really meant for grilling.They will work OK if you cook them hot and fast and serve slightly rare.The longer they cook the tougher they will be because all the juices will be cooked out.
For a thick cut like NY strip,sirloin or fillet mignon,never poke a hole in it! That will allow all the juices to drain out of it while it is cooking making it tough.Anything with acid,(citrus juices,beer,vinegar,cola,etc.) might help tenderize a steak if used as a marinade,but nothing will tenderize a bad steak!LOL Marinades and rubs are basically used to add flavor.About a cup of liquid and 4 or 5 T. olive or other oil and spices of your choice will do for a marinade.Italian dressing also works well.Marinate for at least an hour or overnight.Throw the steak on a very hot grill or skillet.Cook for the amount of time called for according to the "doneness" you like,then turn (with tongs) and cook the other side.Remember a steak will still cook for 10-15 minutes after removing it from the source of heat.
How did yours turn out?
pattico_gw
17 years ago
It was a little tough....It is sirloin tip...

Denny didn't cook it enough for me....I even tossed mine in a fry pan and let it cook longer...but when I got it to the table it was still way to pink...and that just grosses me...I couldn't eat it.

We'll try it again...if it still turns out tough I'll crock pot it the next time...there is a lot of meat in each package.

patti
lilliepad
17 years ago
Patti-next time try "not" poking it with a fork!LOL

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