Making beef steak tender can seem intimidating for home cooks. While pricey cuts like filet mignon are naturally tender cheaper steaks like flank skirt, or hanger steak can be tough and chewy if not prepared properly. The good news is that there are plenty of easy methods to turn budget-friendly steaks into tender, melt-in-your-mouth meals. This complete guide will explore the best techniques for tenderizing beef steak at home.
Why Tenderizing Matters
Tenderizing is important for cuts of steak that contain a lot of connective tissue. Connective tissues are tough, chewy fibers that run through the meat. When steak is not tenderized properly these fibers don’t break down during cooking leaving the meat tough and difficult to chew. Properly tenderizing steak before cooking allows the fibers to soften and separates the muscle strands. This gives you fork-tender steak that is juicy and full of flavor in every bite.
Best Cuts for Tenderizing
While naturally tender cuts like tenderloin or ribeye rarely need extra attention, tougher steaks benefit immensely from tenderizing. Here are some of the best cuts to tenderize:
- Flank steak
- Skirt steak
- Hanger steak
- Tri-tip steak
- Top round steak
- Chuck steak
- Bottom round steak
- Brisket
These cuts come from well-worked muscles so they boast bold beefy flavor but can be chewy without proper prep. Tenderizing transforms them into budget-friendly steaks worthy of any steakhouse.
7 Simple Tenderizing Techniques
From meat mallets to marinades here are 7 easy ways to tenderize steak at home
1. Pound It
A meat mallet is ideal for tenderizing thinner steaks like flank or skirt. Place the steak between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper. Use the mallet’s spiked side to cut the tough connective tissues, then use the flat side to pound the meat to an even thickness. This helps break down fibers and makes the steak easier to cook and eat.
2. Salt It
Simply salting steak about 40-60 minutes before cooking helps tenderize while boosting flavor. The salt breaks down muscle proteins through the process of osmosis. For best results, generously season both sides of the steak and let it rest at room temperature.
3. Marinate It
Acidic marinades effectively tenderize steak while infusing flavor. Ingredients like vinegar, citrus juice, wine, buttermilk, or yogurt help break down connective tissues. For thin steaks, marinate for 1-2 hours. Thicker cuts can soak overnight.
4. Slow Cook It
Long, slow cooking with moist heat is ideal for extremely tough cuts like brisket or chuck roast. Methods like braising, stewing, or barbecuing gently break down connective tissues until the meat shreds easily. Use a recipe that matches cooking time and temperature to the steak’s thickness.
5. Sous Vide It
This hands-off technique uses precisely controlled, low-temperature water baths to cook steak to the ideal doneness. Sous vide tenderizes meat by slowly breaking down collagen while retaining moisture and flavor. It works wonderfully for thicker steaks and helps prevent overcooking.
6. Use Fruit Enzymes
Kiwi, papaya, pineapple, and Asian pear contain enzymes that help break down meat proteins. Add a few tablespoons of crushed fruit to your marinade, but don’t soak for more than 12 hours or the meat can become mushy.
7. Score It
Scoring involves cutting slits across the steak’s surface which severs long muscle fibers. Use a very sharp knife to slice shallow cuts diagonally across the meat. This simple technique helps thin steaks like flank or skirt become more tender.
Best Practices for Tender Steak
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Tenderize steak several hours before cooking or even the night before for best results. This gives time for the techniques to work their magic.
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Don’t over-marinate or over-tenderize. If steak marinades too long or is pounded too much, it can turn mushy. Follow recipe guidelines for timings.
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Pat steaks very dry before cooking. Excess moisture on the surface can inhibit browning and lead to steaming instead of searing.
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Allow steak to rest after cooking. Letting it sit 5-10 minutes allows juices to reabsorb so meat stays tender and juicy when cut.
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Slice steak thinly across the grain. Cutting against the meat fibers makes each bite more tender.
With these handy techniques and tips, you can transform budget-friendly steaks into restaurant-quality meals. Tender, juicy steak is easily within your reach. Simply choose your preferred method and get ready to enjoy steakhouse flavor at home. What are you waiting for? Go make that steak tender and delicious!
Physically tenderize the meat
For tough cuts like chuck steak, a meat mallet can be a surprisingly effective way to break down those tough muscle fibers. You don’t want to pound it into oblivion and turn the meat into mush, but a light pounding with the rough edge of a meat mallet will do the trick. If you don’t have one, you can lightly score the surface in a crosshatch pattern with a knife or use a fork to poke tiny holes into the meat.
Don’t forget the salt
Whether you’re marinating or not, at least make sure to salt the meat before cooking. Salt draws out moisture from inside the meat, concentrating the flavors and creating a natural brine. You know it’s working because the meat will take on a deeper, red color. Unlike marinades, you can salt your meat for up to 24 hours in advance.
How to Tenderize Steaks with Baking Soda – EASY!
FAQ
How do you make steak soft and tender?
While there are a lot of different methods for tenderizing steak, after testing seven techniques, we found that the best is sprinkling the steak with meat tenderizing powder and letting it sit for about 15 minutes before cooking. The tenderizing powder yielded the most tender results with a small amount of prep.
How to keep beef steak tender?
Use a Meat Tenderizer: Physically tenderizing the meat with a mallet can help break down tough fibers. Just be careful not to overdo it, as you can make the meat mushy. Cook Low and Slow: For tougher cuts, consider cooking methods that involve low heat over a longer period, such as braising or slow cooking.
How do you tenderize steak?
Tenderizing is the process of making meat more tender by breaking down the connective tissue. You can tenderize steak in several different ways, including pounding, marinating, and slow cooking, among others.
How do you tenderize a steak using a meat mallet?
Place the steak on a stable surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Then, grab the meat mallet and pound the steak using the coarse side. This method helps break down tough fibers in the meat, making it more tender.
What makes a steak tender?
Finally, the cut of the steak you choose can have a significant impact on its tenderness. Certain cuts like filet mignon, ribeye, and New York strip are naturally more tender due to their high-fat content. Tougher cuts like flank, skirt, and brisket can benefit from the tenderizing methods mentioned above.
How do you score a steak to tenderize it?
Scoring meat involves cutting shallow slits into its surface. This technique helps tenderize tougher cuts of steak, such as flank, by severing the long fibers that make it tough to chew.
How to tenderize and cook eye of round steak?
To tenderize and cook eye of round steak, marinate it in a pineapple blend for 45 minutes. After marinating, rinse the steak under cold water, pat it dry, season with salt, and let it rest in the fridge overnight. Then, cook the steak to your desired doneness in a pan.
How does salt tenderize a steak?
Salt is a powerful steak tenderizer. It works by drawing out the steak’s moisture, which then gets reabsorbed into the steak along with the salt. This process helps to break down the muscle fibers, resulting in a tender steak.