The Secret to Tenderizing Grass Fed Beef? Milking It. (2024)

FAQs

The Secret to Tenderizing Grass Fed Beef? Milking It.? ›

It's milk. Here's why:

Milk-soaked beef softens and becomes tender without drying out or getting mushy. Making milk marinades is not difficult once you understand the basics.

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

The meat will be tenderized, and you will notice the gamey taste is nearly gone or has been completely eliminated. Buttermilk is a secret weapon of many restaurant chefs. They pre-soak chicken, fish and other meats overnight before cooking to give it a hint of tanginess.

Grass-fed beef is ideally cooked at rare to medium-rare temperatures. But even if you want medium-well, you should avoid grilling or roasting it as long as you would corn-fed beef. The meat will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat—so when it reaches ten degrees below the desired temperature, it's done.

Marinate Grass-fed Organic Meat

Organic meat can have a slightly tougher texture than grain-fed meat; this is because the animals have lived natural, active lives, and so have less fat in their bodies, and thicker muscle fibres. Fortunately, this “tougher” quality isn't difficult to counteract.

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

Tenderizing The Steaks

The first method, and arguably the fastest, is using a fork. Just go over the entire steak, puncturing holes all over. Then flip and repeat. The idea is that opening lots of holes helps moisture escape during cooking.

How does Texas Roadhouse tenderise their steaks? Season each side of the steak well with the seasoning and set aside to rest for about 40 minutes. This causes the salt to infiltrate the surface (through osmosis) and actually aids in the breakdown of muscle fibres, resulting in more tender meat.

Does baking soda really tenderize meat? ›

A 15-minute (or slightly longer) stint in a combination of water and baking soda keeps meat tender and moist when it's cooked.

Physically Tenderize

Place your meat between parchment paper or in a plastic bag, and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound a few times. But don't over work the meat, or you'll turn your steak into mush. Alternatively, you can lightly score the surface in a crosshatch pattern with a knife.

Be sure to prep enough marinade to submerge the entire steak. #2 – Place the steak and seasoned milk in a resealable plastic bag or covered container, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours. #3 – Rinse the meat in cool running water, pat it dry, and discard the milk.

I marinated overnight, but 4 hours or so should do the trick. Next, once the meat is marinated, remove it from the buttermilk and PAT IT DRY. You're going to use up a few paper towels (or kitchen towels if you're OK with that). BUT DO NOT RINSE THE MEAT.

A common misconception about grass fed beef is that it's tough and difficult to cook. The truth is that it needs to be handled differently that conventionally raised, grain fed beef. It can become tough if overcooked (similar to most meats), and it is tender when cooked properly.

There are a few methods, but this is the easiest way: Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts. Toss with fingers, leave for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat off excess water.