I have been trying to use fruit enzymes to tenderize meat that is tough and I found that they make a meat tenderizer powder. It is not very common but you should be able to find at least one at the store.
Meat tenderizer powder uses bromelain to tenderize meat. Bromelain is an enzyme that is found in pineapple that breaks down protein to make meat tender. This enzyme breaks down collagen or the connective tissue in meat which makes it tough.
I talk more about collagen and how it is really good for you in this post here. Meat that is high in connective tissue can be chewy so I like to tenderize it.
What is meat tenderizer powder?
Meat tenderizer powder is something you can use on meat before you cook to make it more tender. Once you put it on it will start to break down the protein and more importantly the collagen protein that makes meat tough.
There are other ways to tenderize meat besides using meat tenderizer powder. I wrote about them in this post here.
What is the main ingredient in meat tenderizer?
The main ingredient in meat tenderizer is salt. It is the first ingredient on the list of ingredients which means out of all of the other ingredients salt is the most abundant in meat tenderizer.
The instructions tell you to not add any salt to your meat and only add meat tenderizer. The amount of sodium in meat tenderizer is very similar to that of table salt. It is a little over 500 milligrams for a 1/4 teaspoon.
This does not mean that the main ingredient which is salt is doing the tenderizing. What salt does is give the meat a lot more flavor and it is good to salt steak before you cook it and let it sit for about an hour so that the salt can get absorbed into the steak.
This will get that great salty flavor deeper into the meat. You can read my post about how important it is to salt steak here.
Does meat tenderizer actually work?
Meat tenderizer does work, I used it and it did seem to make a tough piece of meat that had a lot of connective tissue into a more tender steak. It says on the packaging to cook right away or to let it sit on a thicker piece of meat for 30 minutes. I wouldn’t cook it right away ever, I would let it sit for at least 10 minutes even if the meat was super thin.
How long do you leave meat tenderizer on meat?
I used it on a piece of flank steak and let it sit for at least 20 minutes before starting to cook it. I thought that the flank steak was somewhat of a thin piece but I realized as I was cooking that it is actually quite thick in the middle. Next time I will let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
Do you wash off meat tenderizer powder?
You do not wash off meat tenderizer powder, you leave it on while cooking. It has salt in it, so it also helps salt your meat which is another reason why you do not want to wash it off. Washing it off also prevents it from tenderizing meat still while it is cooking.
Is meat tenderizer just baking soda?
Meat tenderizer is not baking soda and does not have any baking soda in it. It is also not a powder like baking soda is, but it is coarse like salt. Some brands do put corn starch in it to prevent caking.
How does meat tenderizer powder actually work?
Bromelain is the substance in meat tenderizer that tenderizes the meat. It is the enzyme that is found in pineapple. This enzyme breaks down proteins, specifically collagen proteins, which makes the meat a lot more tender.
You can also grind up fresh pineapple, and use that as a meat tenderizer as well. I like to wash it off after I marinate my meat with the pineapple because it can leave a funky aftertaste.
I think the fresh pineapple can tenderize the meat a lot faster than the meat tenderizer powder. You can read a post that I wrote about marinating meat in pineapple here.
What is the best way to use meat tenderizer?
Using meat tenderizer for tough steak is the best way to use it. It does not need to be used on more expensive cuts that are tender already. It can make your steak mushy if you put too much on and let it sit for too long it is best to be careful while using it.
How much meat tenderizer to use?
The label says to use half of a teaspoon per pound of meat. You have to take into consideration that you are pouring salt on your meat as well. If you don’t want to listen to the instructions, then you don’t have to and you can just eye it out.
Is meat tenderizer just salt?
Meat tenderizer is not just salt, but it is mainly salt. Salt is the most abundant ingredient then the list goes on as sugar, cornstarch, and bromelain. Although it does have sugar, it still has 0 calories.
Is meat tenderizer powder safe?
There is no ingredient in meat tenderizer that can be considered unsafe. All of the ingredients are used in many other products and bromelain is a natural enzyme that is found in pineapple.
Conclusion
I think meat tenderizer powder can be a really good tool for tenderizing tough steak. I used it on some flank steak which is usually a tough piece of meat.
Letting it sit for 20 minutes was not enough. I think it did get more tender but I would have liked to have had it been more tender. I misjudged the steak and thought it was thinner than it was.