Many people feel that the right marinade is their answer for tenderizing tough meat. Unfortunately, that is not usually the case. Marinades may make your meat taste better, but they are not really all that good at tenderizing - the effect is only skin-deep. Here is a look at the way different marinades are made and the ways in which they work.
The major types of marinade are acid, enzyme, and dairy. Overly acidic marinades can actually toughen meat, while overly strong enzymatic marinades can overdo the tenderizing and result in mush. Dairy has been put forth as a tenderizer, but it does not work for every kind of cooking.
One family of marinades relies on vinegar, wine, citrus and similar acids to denature proteins. This will unwind the proteins in the steak you are cooking. Once they run into other unwound proteins, they will bind back together. This happens when we heat proteins, as well. Water molecules start out trapped in this new mesh of proteins, creating a really tender steak. However, if the marinade is highly acidic, the bonds will tighten and the liquid will be squeezed out, actually toughening the tissues. That is bad news.
This is why mildly acidic marinades are preferable to highly acidic ones. They add a lot of great flavor, and should be relatively weak for best results. Tighter meats, such as flank steak, can survive higher acid marinades, but are not generally preferred for grilling.
Enzymatic marinades can actually break down the collagen and muscle fibers. They come from sources like honeydew, papaya, raw pineapple, fig, ginger, and even kiwi. However, if you use too much, they will turn the muscle to mush without tenderizing. The length of time the meat marinates will affect this as well. The texture gets softer over time. This is the kind of activity you will find from most commercial meat tenderizers, which use papaya enzymes.
The last type of ribeye steak marinade recipe options is that based on dairy products, usually mildly acidic ones. These include buttermilk and yoghurt, both of which are used in India to marinate tough goat and lamb, and which are used in the US to make fried chicken better.
Steaks cooked in this kind of marinade will be interesting, but examine the recipe you are using, since this is not a common choice for beef. Try curry-type flavors in a dairy marinade for steak if you are interested in trying this out.
Marinades do not have to be complicated, and if you know the kind of results to expect from your ingredients, you will have no problem getting a great end product every time. Take a little while to investigate the different varieties of marinades to find the one that is likely to go best with your steak. The results might surprise you.
The major types of marinade are acid, enzyme, and dairy. Overly acidic marinades can actually toughen meat, while overly strong enzymatic marinades can overdo the tenderizing and result in mush. Dairy has been put forth as a tenderizer, but it does not work for every kind of cooking.
One family of marinades relies on vinegar, wine, citrus and similar acids to denature proteins. This will unwind the proteins in the steak you are cooking. Once they run into other unwound proteins, they will bind back together. This happens when we heat proteins, as well. Water molecules start out trapped in this new mesh of proteins, creating a really tender steak. However, if the marinade is highly acidic, the bonds will tighten and the liquid will be squeezed out, actually toughening the tissues. That is bad news.
This is why mildly acidic marinades are preferable to highly acidic ones. They add a lot of great flavor, and should be relatively weak for best results. Tighter meats, such as flank steak, can survive higher acid marinades, but are not generally preferred for grilling.
Enzymatic marinades can actually break down the collagen and muscle fibers. They come from sources like honeydew, papaya, raw pineapple, fig, ginger, and even kiwi. However, if you use too much, they will turn the muscle to mush without tenderizing. The length of time the meat marinates will affect this as well. The texture gets softer over time. This is the kind of activity you will find from most commercial meat tenderizers, which use papaya enzymes.
The last type of ribeye steak marinade recipe options is that based on dairy products, usually mildly acidic ones. These include buttermilk and yoghurt, both of which are used in India to marinate tough goat and lamb, and which are used in the US to make fried chicken better.
Steaks cooked in this kind of marinade will be interesting, but examine the recipe you are using, since this is not a common choice for beef. Try curry-type flavors in a dairy marinade for steak if you are interested in trying this out.
Marinades do not have to be complicated, and if you know the kind of results to expect from your ingredients, you will have no problem getting a great end product every time. Take a little while to investigate the different varieties of marinades to find the one that is likely to go best with your steak. The results might surprise you.
About the Author:
There is nothing like cooking steak on a grill. It just feels right. A good marinade will make that grill flavor even more exciting! Choose from a huge assortment of marinade recipes at EasySteakMarinades.net for the most amazing steaks you will ever eat and be sure to read their tips on grilling.
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