What is there to know about tenderizing steaks? Tenderizing refers to the process of making meat into that it can be more easily chewed. There are many different ways you can go about doing this, and also many different reasons one might want to do this. Some people have digestion problems with tough pieces of meat while some people just prefer a chewier steak.
Tenderizing a steak is one of the simplest ways to up your grilling game. You can use marinades, but if you’d rather not it is easy enough to do with just a few simple steps.
Here’s how to tenderize a steak in 8 easy steps!
Step 1: Place your steak in a plastic bag before placing it into the freezer
Firstly, place your steak in a plastic bag before putting it in the freezer. This will allow for more surface area to be frozen and thus more tenderizing. Leave for between twenty minutes and an hour depending on how thick your steak is.
This step of the process can be done either before or after freezing. Take your steak out of the freezer and place it in the fridge for between half an hour and two hours depending on how frozen it is.
Step 2: Place steak into the fridge to thaw
When removing from the fridge, cut your steak into strips so that they are roughly an inch thick.
Step 3: Cut into strips approximately 1 inch thick
Take your steak and cover one side with salt (if you do not have salt then use some other type of seasoning, pepper is recommended). Ensure that the steak is completely covered by lightly pressing down on it.
Step 4: Cover one side with salt or seasoning of your choosing
Next, cover the other side of your steak with any form of plain flour (cornflour is also acceptable). Press down lightly once again to ensure the steak is covered. If you do not have flour then use breadcrumbs instead.
Step 5: Cover one side with plain flour or breadcrumbs
Once all sides have been coated with salt/flour, or seasoning and flour, place the steak on a hot pan so that it is lightly greased.
Step 6: Place steak in a hot pan
Heat your frying pan over medium-high heat until it is hot, but not smoking.
Cook for anywhere between five and ten minutes depending on how frozen your steak is and whether you like your meat rarer or well done. Ensure that the steak is flipped over every two minutes whilst cooking.
Step 7: Cook for between 5-10 minutes depending on preference
Take your steak off the pan once cooked and leave it to rest for at least ten minutes before eating.
Step 8: Leave to rest before eating
Let your steak rest for a few minutes before serving to ensure that the juices stay in the meat rather than spilling onto your plate.
Conclusion
Are you ready to try out this tenderizing technique? Whether it’s to help with your digestion or just because you want a chewier steak for whatever reason, we hope that this article has helped give you the knowledge and tools needed to get started.
If there is anything else about tenderizing steaks that interests you, please leave us a comment below! We would love to hear from you.
Remember – when in doubt, experiment!
