Making the meat tender is a common goal when we cook it. Whether you like it rare or more cooked, no one wants a dry or chewy steak. What we are looking for is that each bite of the meat, regardless of the piece in question, is juicy and with a pleasant texture.
To achieve this, it is essential to choose quality meat at the butcher shop. But, in addition, there are a series of tricks that you can take into account to ensure that any piece of meat is very tender and juicy.
On the Instagram profile @pisu.cocina (916 thousand followers), we find the chef’s trick to soften the meat and make it much more tender, even the most fibrous and tough pieces. It’s as simple as adding a little baking soda, as this helps break down the proteins, making them softer, especially in lean cuts, as the chef explains.
After adding the baking soda to the piece of meat, let it rest for an hour. Next, the meat should be washed well with water and then dried with absorbent paper before cooking.
In addition to the baking soda trick, there are other key points when it comes to making the meat much more tender. To begin with, it is advisable to temper it a little when we take it out of the refrigerator, before putting it on the heat. Otherwise, the abrupt temperature contrast will cause the piece to contract, thus losing its tenderness. On the other hand, hitting it with a spatula or a mallet helps the fibers break, resulting in more tender meat.
Another aspect that will make a difference is that the pan, griddle or grill is hot before placing the piece, which will make the exterior seal better, preventing juices from escaping. In this regard, it is also important to dry the meat with absorbent paper, because if it is wet from its juices, that liquid could worsen the cooking.
As for the appropriate time to add the salt, it will depend on the piece. In steaks or other thin pieces, it is best to add it at the end so that it helps the meat not to lose juices. On the other hand, in the case of pieces such as sirloin or entrecote, it is more convenient to add it before cooking, although it can be completed with a touch of coarse salt at the end.
You should also avoid poking the meat with the fork and turning it too much during cooking. These practices cause it to lose its juices and the cooking is not uniform.