How can I keep meat/steak from toughening up while I cook it?

Answer 1

Normally toughening up happens because of
1) quality of cut of meat
2) over cooking


for the quality, before cooking you can use a meat tenderizer such as Accent or other commercial brands, marinate the meat (this is why corned beef is "corned" it tenderizers the brisket) or a skirt steak is marinated

for over cooking, monitor the cooking closer

Answer 2

First, buy more tender cuts of meat, or those cuts with more fat (marbling) in them. They're generally the more expensive cuts, though.
These principles apply to beef, pork, venison & lamb.
Next, the trick to cooking steak is to sear the outsides with high heat, then lower the heat a little and either fry, grill or broil for only a few minutes per side. The most tender steaks are served rare or medium-rare.
Remember that meat will continue cooking on the inside after it's removed from the heat! In other words, if you take a steak off the broiler at the rare stage (cool red in the middle) it will heat up to medium rare (warm red in the middle) by the time it's served.

Answer 3

First of all, you want to make certain that you follow the recipe exactly and that you have the right type of meat. Certain cuts require special treatment in order for them to come out as anything other than a piece of shoe leather. Certain cuts that benefit from long periods of slow roasting or stewing include short ribs, many pot roasts, ribs of any kind (particularly spareribs), and other large pieces that are primarily muscle. If you attempt to roast something that requires braising or stewing, you won't get a soft piece of meat in the end.

You can tenderize a steak both chemically and physically before cooking it. To physically tenderize meat, you can place it between two sheets of waxed paper and strike it somewhat forcefully with some sort of heavy object. Kitchen supply stores actually sell a specialized device that usually looks like a hammer for this very purpose. Some can get quite extravagant. If you don't have a tenderizer, you can strike it with a two-by-four or any other object that you can use like a hammer. Obviously this is usually used on a boneless thin, pice of meat, although in rare cases I have seen it used elsewhere.

To chemically tenderize a steak, you can use a marinade, which will usually help to break down the muscle and soften the meat as it adds flavor. There are also specific chemical tenderizers that are available, although these are almost always mixed with some sort of flavoring agents.

Finally, after you have cooked the meat, allow it to rest for a period of time. A steak can go for 5-10 minutes, while larger roasts should go for a minimum of 15-20 minutes. Do not cut into them during this time, as a resting period will allow them to relax slightly.

Answer 4

i don't know how common a practice it is now, but at my house (and my mom's before me), we always "tenderized" the meat by pounding it with a "meat hammer." you can do the same with any hammer; just wash it, put it inside a ziplok bag and pound away. the pounding breaks down some of the cellular structure of the meat, thereby tenderizing it.

you can also marinate, but do it in the refrigerator so you don't risk food poisoning.

there are also "tenderizing salt" products at the grocery stores, but i try to stay away from artificial additives as much as possible, so stick to the hammer.

also, if you can keep the skillet covered as much as possible, you'll retain the steam generated and reduce the toughening up. if you're baking the meat, put a pan of water in the oven with it and that'll do the same thing.

slow cooking in a crockpot is another way to prepare a tough cut of meat so that it's tender; the meat retains its moisture so don't add too much liquid to the pot - and you can add veggies for pot roast. 8-10 hours on low should give a break-with-a-fork pot roast.

Answer 5

You can start by purchasing a better grade of meat. Most meats sold in markets are select grade. If you were to buy a choice grade, the meat would be more tender when cooked. A good meat tenderizer would be very helpful if you use a select grade of meat. Whatever you do, do not fry the steak, use your broiler or grill the meat,

Answer 6

Depends on the steak you have bought. Is it - frying steak? or rump/sirloin? Is it cooked on gas or electric? Firstly, buy your steak from a reputable butcher. I have cooked "Supermarket" steaks and they always tend to cook tough! Secondly, a heavy fryingpan. A wishy-washy one won't do. Brush steak with a coating of oil. The 'pan has to be very hot. Dump the steak in - an inch thick steak would take 2 mins either side for medium/rare. A bit longer, say 3 mins either side, and it should be medium to done. All this should be done on a "medium heat". Hope this is helpful.

Answer 7

Depends on how long you cook it and if you marinate it.

The acid in marinates will help break down the meat tissue, leaving you meat more tender when you cook it.

Secondly, cook the meat to the right temperature (use a meat thermometer). If you over cook any meat, it will get tough, no matter what. I recommend cooking it to medium-well done at the most.

Thirdly, try and avoid cooking meat that has been frozen. The ice crystals detroy the meat cells and allow all the juices to escape while cooking.

Fourthly, cooking meat covered can help seal in the steam.and juices.

Answer 8

If you are in a hurry, turn your stove up high high heat, add oil. Throw your steak on for 20 seconds, flip it over for 20 seconds, then take it off the heat completely, wait for the element to cool down and put it back on and let it simmer on super low heat for seven minutes. This won't taste nearly as good as a slow cooker with yummy sauce, but it won't be like eating a boot.

Answer 9

Just put a few pieces of papaya and little bigger than normal piece of ginger in the raw meat while cooking ignoring the presence of these ingredients.Taste of the meat will remain same and you will be happy after seeing the result.

Best o' Luck

God Bless

Answer 10

Remember... slow and easy. If you are cooking stove top, just simmer in a sauce. In the oven, depending on the cut of meat, 2-3 hours, or even longer.