Brining Meat
 

hi Karen,

I heard a chef from Windsor being interviewed on the radio ... he commented that brining is the only way to tenderize meat. Just to keep it in context, the subject of the day was actually about marinating meat for the barbiekew. The interviewer asked what marinade would be best for tenderizing meat, and the reply was that marinades are for flavouring only, they do not tenderize. Brining is the only way to tenderize meat.

Now, I agree that the chief purpose of marinades is flavouring, but aren't there some ingredients that do help to tenderize by breaking down tough protein fibers? Acid ingredients such as wine, tomatoes, lemon juice etc .. ?

And my main question .. does brining really tenderize meat? I've always thought that brining or salting meat helps to keep it moist by holding onto water, but doesn't actually tenderize. Or does it?

Doreen

Yes, acid ingredients unwind the fibers and actually do tenderize. But, too much acid - vinegar, hot sauce, wine - in a marinade or being marinaded for too long can have the opposite effect causing the meat to be stringy and tough.

Brining also does the same thing through osmosis. Since the cell wall is semi-permeable, the water and salt can pass into the cell, but the proteins cannot pass out of the cell. Once inside the meat, salt causes the strands of protein to "unwind" changing the structure. The strands become tangled together, trapping moisture. When the meat is cooked, the tangled proteins solidify and form a barrier that keeps the moisture and salt in the meat.

So Mr. Windsor was right ... and wrong.

I've salted things like duck and pork overnight for years because it really does improve the flavour and actually prefer it to acid marinades. Dry marinading with salt and diced vegetables - carrots, onions and celery - really tenderizes well too.

Thanks for letting me wear my food science hat. ;)

Karen

Karen,

This is such a clear and useful explanation, well, as usual:)

I am trying it on chicken today, will see how it turns out.

Thanks,

maggie

Karen,

You remind me of my favorite show on the food network, Good Eats. I love the way Alton Brown explains all the chemical rxns food goes through and the whys of doing things in a certain order/way.

Thanks for all the great info.

Yes, Karen. Thankyou! I will try this method for ribs :yum:


BB

I just made chicken using this method. It turned out so good and juicy...

I am brining a pork roast overnight and am looking forward cooking it tomorrow.