Cooking Tips: Mutton is not always an easy meat to work with. Take note of these tips.iStock
There are staunch mutton lovers who won't settle for any other meat but mutton. We are sure you know many of them, or maybe, you are one yourself. For mutton buffs, the dish has to be perfect. But the problem with cooking mutton is that it's difficult to get it right. One small misstep and you get chewy and dry meat, which is really a disappointment. But there are people who manage to get soft and tender mutton every single time. How? They follow the following steps to make the perfect mutton dish. Check out some of them below:
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Here Are 5 Tips To Make Soft And Tender Mutton:
1. Buy the right meat
This is obviously the first step to cooking mutton at home. By picking the right kind of meat, you can ensure that it will turn out as succulent as you want. Always pick freshly cut meat in place of frozen meat. It's a given that fresh meat will cook better. You can make out if the meat being sold at the butcher shop is old by checking its texture. If the meat appears loose, not hard, and the fibre is breaking, chances are it's not fresh.
Also Read:How To Clean Raw Meat At Home- 5 Tips To Follow
2. Cut the meat judiciously
Yes, the way you cut the raw meat before cooking it makes a whole lot of difference in the end result. The purpose is to break the muscle fibre so that it doesn't turn chewy, and the ideal way to do this is by slicing across the muscles and not from the centre. This will break down proteins, helping it cook faster and turn out more tender.
Also Read:11 Basic Cooking Tips To Help Beginners Become Better Cooks
3. Don't skip marination
Cooking Tips: Always add an acidic ingredient to the marinade.Photo Credit: iStock
This is actually one of the most important steps in cooking meat, not just mutton but any other meat. The process of marination is key to making soft mutton and imbuing flavours in it. One rule of thumb is to add at least one acidic ingredient to the marinade. Acid breaks down the collagen in the muscles, adding moisture to the meat. Marinate your meat in a pool of curd or lemon or both, with salt, pepper and other seasonings. Aim to marinate for at least two hours, and for best results, do it overnight.
4. Cook slowly
There is a reason the method of slow cooking is so popular. Cooking for long hours helps the flavours seep in deep into the food. In the case of meat, slow cooking tenderises it. To get good meat, try to cook it for around three hours on low flame.
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5. Salt the meat
If you don't have enough time to prepare the marinade, you can also rub salt on the meat and leave it for a couple of hours before cooking it. Salt also does a good job, if not better, to break down muscle fibre. But remember to wash off excesssalt before cooking it.
Also Read:17 Best Indian Mutton Recipes | Easy Mutton Recipes
Enjoy, juicy, tender and soft mutton with these tips, every single time. Are you slurping already?
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FAQs
Mutton, like most mature meat, tends to contain a high proportion of collagen, a rubbery connective tissue that holds the meat fibers together. Although some collagen is important to maintaining meat's structure, higher amounts tend to render meat tough and chewy.
What makes mutton chewy? ›
Mutton, like most mature meat, tends to contain a high proportion of collagen, a rubbery connective tissue that holds the meat fibers together. Although some collagen is important to maintaining meat's structure, higher amounts tend to render meat tough and chewy.
How do you fix rubbery mutton? ›
That is guaranteed to soften your meat :-) Try using papaya juice while cooking the meat. Or marinate the meat with curd and lemon juice for good 1–2 hours and cook. Or while you cook, add curd into the curry and cook for 3 whistles on high flame and another 2–3 whistles on medium to low flame.
What is the meaning of tender mutton? ›
Younger lambs are smaller and more tender. Mutton is meat from a sheep over two years old, and has less tender flesh. In general, the darker the colour, the older the animal.
Does vinegar make mutton soft? ›
Try these easy tricks and enjoy more tender meat.
The first is to submerge meat in cooking oil (sunflower or olive oil) before you start cooking. The oil is absorbed and softens the meat. The second method is to add some vinegar while you're cooking and the vinegar will begin to tenderise the meat.
What tenderizes mutton? ›
Mutton, with its tougher and fattier nature, benefits from low and slow cooking methods. Slow roasting in a kettle braai or oven, braising and stewing in a potjie are ideal, as they tenderize the meat and enhance its robust flavor.
What can I add to mutton to make it soft? ›
One rule of thumb is to add at least one acidic ingredient to the marinade. Acid breaks down the collagen in the muscles, adding moisture to the meat. Marinate your meat in a pool of curd or lemon or both, with salt, pepper and other seasonings.
How long should mutton cook? ›
Fill the pot with enough water to cover the mutton and season it with any desired herbs and spices. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 1 to 2 hours, until the mutton is cooked through.
Does baking soda tenderize mutton? ›
In short, yes! A little baking soda can be used to tenderize meat.
Does mutton get softer the longer you cook it? ›
Slow cooking with a slow cooker is a great cooking method that can help to soften Mutton Cubes because it helps to soften the meat. . On average slow cooking mutton cubes take a while to cook with cooking times of about 3 hours or even longer depending on the heat level.
Always marinate the mutton before cooking. Marinating helps to tenderize the meat & also cuts down the cook time. Do not add acidic ingredients like lemon or tomatoes to the pan before sauteing the mutton for a while. Most times both these acidic ingredients tend to make the meat tough when added before sauteing.
Can we boil mutton before cooking? ›
However, the amount of fat in the mutton looks mad. I've had a few suggestions, such as trimming it off, however I don't really feel comfortable doing that myself (yes, call me an amateur, lol). One suggestion I've had is to boil the meat first to render off the fat then cook it.
How to make mutton juicy? ›
Marinate Your Meat
As a general rule, the marinade should contain at least one acidic element. The collagen in the meat is broken down by acid, which gives the meat more moisture. At least two hours should be spent marinating, while overnight marinating is preferable.
Why is my mutton chewy? ›
Mutton may be chewy if the meat has not been tenderized well before/during cooking. Like if it is not : Marinated (or not long enough marinated) not fully pressure-cooked.
Which is better, lamb or mutton? ›
Flavor: Lamb is a younger animal, so the meat hasn't had time to develop as much flavor—thus, it is milder with a faint, grassy flavor. Alternatively, mutton comes from an older sheep with more fat and muscles, giving it a strong, gamey flavor similar to goat, venison, or wild boar.
Which cooking technique is best for mutton? ›
Both lamb and mutton have excellent qualities for culinary use. Lamb is better suited for quicker cooking preparations like grilling and roasting. Mutton has a stronger gamey flavor and is best suited for slow, tenderizing cooking methods like braising and stewing.
How do you make meat moist and tender? ›
5 secrets for cooking tender and juicy meat in the oven
- Meat to room temperature. There are different opinions about cooking meat at room temperature. ...
- Preheat the oven. ...
- Different oven temperatures for different meat cuts and weights. ...
- Sear the meat before cooking it in the oven. ...
- Do not cut your meat right away.
