Lots of people believe that a tough piece of meat will be made tender by a good marinade, so they buy cheaper grades than they should. Unfortunately, that is not really the case. Good meat has to start out as good meat, and while many marinades taste great, they do not tenderize all that much. Let us look at three major categories of marinade and see how 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.
Acidic marinades rely on wine, vinegar, and citrus juices to denature the proteins in a steak. This unwinds them. Once they encounter another unwound protein, they will bind together - the same process that happens with long, slow cooking. Water starts out trapped in these proteins, and the steak is pretty tender. However, too much acid will tighten those protein bonds, squeezing out liquid and toughening the meat.
Because of this, a marinade that is mildly acidic is usually a better choice than one that is extremely sour. A good marinade should be there mostly for flavor, and will tenderize best if relatively week. Stronger marinades are good for tightly grained meats, but those meats are not usually put on the grill.
An enzymatic marinade will actually work to break down muscle fiber and collagen. Sources from honeydew melon, raw pineapple, ginger, kiwi, fig and papaya, these marinades can be great in small amounts. Too much will get you mush, not a tender steak, however. The longer you marinate, the softer the texture, too. Commercial meat tenderizers use papaya enzymes to work the same way.
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.
Your marinade does not have to be all that complex, so long as you know what you can expect from the ingredients you use. You will get a great meal every time if you only take the time to check out all the kinds of marinades available. One of them is going to be right for your steak.
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.
Acidic marinades rely on wine, vinegar, and citrus juices to denature the proteins in a steak. This unwinds them. Once they encounter another unwound protein, they will bind together - the same process that happens with long, slow cooking. Water starts out trapped in these proteins, and the steak is pretty tender. However, too much acid will tighten those protein bonds, squeezing out liquid and toughening the meat.
Because of this, a marinade that is mildly acidic is usually a better choice than one that is extremely sour. A good marinade should be there mostly for flavor, and will tenderize best if relatively week. Stronger marinades are good for tightly grained meats, but those meats are not usually put on the grill.
An enzymatic marinade will actually work to break down muscle fiber and collagen. Sources from honeydew melon, raw pineapple, ginger, kiwi, fig and papaya, these marinades can be great in small amounts. Too much will get you mush, not a tender steak, however. The longer you marinate, the softer the texture, too. Commercial meat tenderizers use papaya enzymes to work the same way.
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.
Your marinade does not have to be all that complex, so long as you know what you can expect from the ingredients you use. You will get a great meal every time if you only take the time to check out all the kinds of marinades available. One of them is going to be right for your steak.
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Apple cider steak marinade can infuse your steak with the great taste of apple while it tenderizes. You will not believe how delicious your steak is when you take a bite. Pick up this recipe at EasySteakMarinades.net and take a few moments to browse the rest of the delicious marinade recipes.
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