How can you make steak tender ?

Answer 1

Don't buy a cheap cut of meat if you want it tender!

In my opinion you can bash it about and add all the flavourings and chemicals you wish, but cheap cuts of meat make fantastic stews and casseroles, but lousy steak!

Buy meat from the butchers not the supermarket, and ask how long it has been hung. You want it to have been hung for at least 21 days.If you can afford it buy organic, free range meat from a local producer. This will not only taste better and be tender, but is better for the environment as well as local farming.

I would letting the meat come to room temperature before you cook it, drizzling with olive oil and cooking in a griddle pan (one of those with the ridged bars that leave lines on your food).

Gordon Ramsey recommends pushing your finger into the meat to check how well it is cooked:
As soft as your cheek = rare
As hard as the bony part of your chin = medium
As hard as your forehead = well done

Answer 2

Any less marbled cut of meat can be tenderized by

1. pounding

2. Cutting into smaller pieces and poking with a fork

3. Puting thin slices across the meat with a sharp knife

2. Marinading for 6 hours or more with an acidic base (vinegar, wine, lemon/lime juice)

Good Luck!

Answer 3

Beat it out with a meat tenderizer. You can get wooden ones or stainless steel ones. They look a bit like old school weapons - basically a mallet with short, blunt spikes on either end.

You can put the steak in between some cling film and bash away.

Answer 4

I did this by accident, but the results were amazing.

Bought large piece of top sirloin and cut it into 3 steaks. Seasoned all 3 with Montreal Steak Seasoning and pan fired two of the steaks right away. Turned out ok.

The third steak (already seasoned) I just wrapped in plastic wrap and stuck in the refrigerator.

2 days later I remembered that steak, took it out of the refrigerator and pan fried it. AMAZING! My wife and I could not believe it was the same steak. Tender melt in your mouth tasty perfection.

Don't know why this worked, but it did.

Answer 5

All the above are sound advice, but I think the best thing to buy is well hung meat (!) (ie. at least 21 days old). I have never bought it and then kept it for 21 days I have just let the butcher do it. Tesco now sell this, and then cook it really really quickly in a red hot pan ie. 4 mins on either side if steak really thick.

Answer 6

IN EUROPE, THEY LITERALLY "BEAT THEIR MEAT" WITH A MEAT MALLET---COOKING SLOWLY ,ALSON HELPS,,AS DOES COOKING YOU ,SLOWLY,MEAT IN A GRAVEY. ----"DO YOU BEAT YOUR HUSBANDS,OR BOYFRIENDS ,MEAT PROPERLY???"---LOL

Answer 7

Don't overcook your steak, and while you are cooking it, don't keep flippping it back and forth. Cook one side then the other side and take it off the heat. You should also let the steak sit for about 3-5 minutes before you serve/cut into it.

If you don't overcook your meat, it will be juicy and tender. If you overcook your meat, it will be dry and tough.

Good luck!

Answer 8

It is good to marinade the meat overnight in worcestershire sauce and be sure to sprinkle with meat tenderizer seasoning. You can even buy steak seasoning to sprinkle on meat also.
Enjoy!

Answer 9

You can tenderize your meat by marinating it. Use an acidic substance like vinegar (red wine vinegar works well) or lemon juice. The acidity premeates the meat and breaks down connective tissue.

Of course when you make your marinade add garlic, spices, etc. to the vinegar or lemon juice.

Answer 10

It depends on what kind of steak you're buying, but making it medium rare is the way to go!