Natural meat tenderizers

These are agents found in natural sources whose proteolytic enzymes break down meat protein fibers into amino acids, giving them a much softer texture. The main certified and used natural softeners are salts, acids, drinks and fruits.

Salt or baking soda

Salts break down meat proteins; If kosher salt, sea salt or baking soda are used an hour before cooking, the juiciness of the meat will be preserved, improving its texture.

Acids

They are mainly used in beef, softening the meat muscle, as well as giving it flavor. The most frequently used natural acids are balsamic vinegar, tomato juice, lemon, lime or orange juice. When marinating meat, you should not exceed 2 hours, otherwise the opposite effect will occur: instead of the meat being softened, it will harden. Rosemary is used as a softener, together with taurine, carnosine and ascorbic acid according to certain lighting conditions (specifically, in supermarkets, with fluorescent lights, UV lighting lamps). This mixture of herbs and juices is added to beef burgers packaged with a modified atmosphere and placed on shelves at 2°C for 20 days (SÁNCHEZ et al., 2011), to inhibit metmyoglobin and delay lipid oxidation, as well as serving as a color stabilizer and prevents the occurrence of bad odors in the meat; If you combine only rosemary and ascorbic acid, the effect of antioxidants is much greater.

Drinks

The addition of beverages, such as wine, beer, coffee or tea, can perform the function of natural softeners and marinators. Both wine and beer contain tannins and acids, coffee contains acids; and tea, tannins, which are normally added cold for at least 24 hours, so that they can have an effect on the meat protein.

Fruits

There are fruits and roots that soften meat because they contain enzymes that act as tenderizers. For example, pineapple contains bromelain; papaya, papain; the fig, ficina; Even kiwi has an enzyme called actinidin. All of these proteases perform the same function as papain, which is to tenderize the meat. Similar to citrus juice and salt, the enzyme breaks down muscle fibers. The ginger root, grated over the meat, softens and enhances it, as it contains a proteolytic enzyme that has the same function as the others. These types of natural tenderizers are most efficient on thin cuts of meat and can be added simply by grinding the fruit pulp over the meat.

Source: carnetec.com.br