Looking for something I can put on meat to give it a good taste and to make it tender.?

Answer 1

You can marinate the meat before you actually cook it.

Answer 2

Brining meat will give it great flavor and even some of the most notoriously not-so-tender cuts will benefit and become more tender.

All you really need is kosher salt and water to brine meat, but adding other aromatics can also go a long way to adding great taste. The basic ratio is 1 gallon of water for every cup of kosher salt. You can use sea salt too, but it can be expensive.

I find that for larger things like a turkey, a brand new bucket cleaned with hot soap and water makes a great vessel. For more "normal" sized cuts, use the new larger sized [2 gallon] Ziploc baggies. Line a bowl with the bag then mix the brine. Add the meat and seal. Leave the bag with the brine and the meat in the bowl just in case. And always brine in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.

I do NOT recommend the brining bags that you can buy. They are too large and unwieldly and are not reliable.

Here's a nice brine

Ingredients
1 gallon fresh cold water
1 cup kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup sugar [granulated or light brown]
1 head garlic, smashed
1 large orange, cut in half
1 lemon, cut in half length-wise
4 dried red chiles, crushed
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 bay leaves, broken up
1/2 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method
Heat the water, add all the ingredients, and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Remove from heat, bring to room temperature. Chill before using.

Wet Brining Times [Refrigerated]:

Whole roasting chicken: 24 hours

Quail: 1 hour

Capon or large chicken breasts: 2 hours

4- to 6-ounce portions of fish: 1 hour

Pork loin on the bone: 12 hours

Pork leg: 48 hours

Whole 15-pound turkey: 24 hours

Answer 3

If the cut of meat is tough, anything with an acidic base will help break down the tough fats. So, items containing vinegar, lemon juice or some marinades will help i.e..: Bottled Italian Dressing; soy sauce w/ lemon and garlic, etc.
Also, try cutting the meat into smaller portions so you do not run into a long strand of fat.
For roasts, boil the heck out of them then simmer. Will be fork tender.

Answer 4

This one is great for steaks! Make a marinade of 1/2 Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 Italian Salad Dressing (like Wishbone or Viva Italian) and put meat in and let set in the refrigerator. Make ahead of time and turn the steak now and then. If you can leave it in the marinade 4-6 hours that's great. It's "cut-with-a-fork" tender.

Answer 5

Papaya juice will tenderize the meat. Papaya is the major ingredient in meat tenderizer anyway.

Answer 6

Try dusting the meat with corn starch then putting it in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and garlic. Let it sit for an hour or two then cook however you like.

Answer 7

meat tender seasoning to make it smell and taste good

Answer 8

I like to put sliced mango on top of my chicken breasts while they bake in the oven. The meat is so juicey and tender.

Answer 9

If it's a skin-on roast, the put cold pieces of butter and seasonings underneath the skin before cooking.

If you're making steak, let it sit for a few minutes before serving to let the juices recirculate.

Answer 10

You can use fruit juice. The higher the acidity the less time will be needed to marinade the meat.