How do Meat Tenderizers Work?

Everyone has had the experienced of trying to eat meat that is just too tough. It’s nearly impossible to make a tough piece of meat tender but some cuts can be helped with meat tenderizers. The products available in the local store use a particular type of enzyme that help break down the structure of the meat, making it tender (easier to work with and to chew).

The science behind tenderizing meat this way is not terribly complicated. The enzymes in commercial tenderizers break down the peptide bonds between various amino acids. These amino acids are generally found in the complex proteins that make up the meat we eat. Collagen is the most plentiful of these complex proteins.

How to Tenderize

Cooking will usually tenderize meat by breaking down these same bonds, as long as the meat isn’t cooked so long that it becomes dry. We can also tenderize meat using physical means. Chefs have often used special meat hammers to break down the protein structure. Manipulation by hand can also help make the meat softer and easier to consume.

You can purchase tenderizing products from the grocery store if physical methods don’t produce the desired result, or if you want to combine both physical and chemical methods. These products usually come in powder or granular form and should be sprinkled onto the meat, at room temperature. This application should be done with care because too much tenderizer can cause the meat to become too soft, making it less appetizing.

Pineapple Plants?

Believe it or not, one of the most widely used retail tenderizers comes from the pineapple plant. The active ingredient is plentiful in the stem of this plant. The same ingredient, bromelain, is recognized as a good treatment for injuries because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Meat tenderizer is also made from the papaya plant, the fig and the kiwi.
Meat tenderizers made from these sources work quickly when sprinkled on meat before it is cooked. The ingredient works its way into the fiber of the meat and begins to work in a matter of minutes. It’s important to keep meat tenderizers at the correct temperature. The chemical activity needed to make them work slows considerably in cool temperatures and may cease altogether when the product is refrigerated. In addition, the products have little or no effect at higher temperatures.

It’s also important to avoid piercing the uncooked meat before applying tenderizer. This will only serve to allow necessary, natural juices to escape during the cooking process. Follow the instructions on the meat tenderizer to the letter for the best results. Meat-processing companies used to do some of the work for us by injecting meat-tenderizing solutions directly into live animals. This helped tenderize the muscle tissue just before the animal was slaughtered.
This practice is not as common as it once was. Meat tenderizers purchased at the store and used in the home will generally produce the right texture for a good meal.