Seven Meat Tenderizers You Can Use For BBQ.

When you delve into the juiciest rib or steak, what do you expect? A tender and tantalizing meat to the core. After all, the smoky flavor, along with the tenderness of the meat, completes the BBQ. Hence, to tenderize the meat so that it melts in your mouth, cooks have some tricks up their sleeves. Let’s discuss a few meat tenderizers that you can use for your home BBQ.

Salt: When salt enters the meat, it goes on to break down protein and fibers. Resulting in a less chewy and softer BBQ. Therefore, rubbing the meat with salt an hour or two before the cooking will do the trick. Moreover, don’t keep a light hand when sprinkling salt; bathe the meat heavily for great results.

Vinegar Or Other Acidic Food: Vinegar and other citrus juices bring more to the platter than their distinctive tangy taste. These serve as a meat tenderizer as well. Acid cuts through the protein and connective tissue, leaving it soft as we like it. Moreover, some BBQ masters may bast their meat with an acidic paste, and others might use it in their marinades. However, whatever your strategy is, you must be careful about how long vinegar or other acid is in touch with the meat. This is because too much of it can leave the meat mushy.

Tea: Tea contains enzyme tannins which tend to break down proteins. All you need to do is brew a strong cup of black tea and add it to your marinade.

Papaya, Pawpaw, Figs, Pineapple: These fruits are slightly acidic, but that’s not what does the trick. These contain ample protein-digesting enzymes similar to those found in your stomach. These enzymes thrive in a slightly acidic environment. Nonetheless, these enzymes play a critical role in breaking down protein and connective tissues. Apply the fruity paste and leave it on a thin slice for a few hours.

Beating It Down: Beating the meat into slender, thin cuts will also do the trick. This is often done with a flat-faced meat beater. This show of raw strength loosens up the connective fibers and muscles. Moreover, it’s essential to flatten lumps of meat so that your marinade can do its job well.

Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce along with vinegar is the staple of American BBQ tradition. Tomato sauces are slightly acidic with their acidity reinforced with vinegar. Again, tomato sauce serves the dual purpose of tempting and tenderizing your meat.

Ginger: It’s another common ingredient found in recipes and marinade. The inclusion serves the dual purpose of relishing your taste buds and softening the meat. Similarly, ginger also contains enzymes that naturally break down proteins.