Hints for tenderizing meat?

[Andrea]

Does anybody have a "magical" formula for tenderizing meat?? Whenever I fry venison it tends to be a little tough. Okay, sometimes like shoe leather. And I have the same problem with steak.
I want to tenderize it without beating it to death.

HELP!!!!!!!!!

[Snipe]

First off on the frying it...Are you doing a chicken fry recipe..?? And on the steak are you grilling them on a charcoal or gas grill..??

[oldksnarc]

If it's that tough you're probably overcooking them. Medium to medium rare on beef, venison etc. should be cooked no more than 6-8 minutes per side - depending on the thickness of the cut. Most people overcook venison thinking they have to cook it a long time to get rid of the "wild" taste. That ends up overcooking it, resulting in a bad piece of meat and people that don't like venison because it's too tough.

If you like your steaks well done, your probably going to always have dry, tough meat. The only way I've found to keep meat somewhat moist during the cooking process is by marinating in Zesty Italian salad dressing. Adds spices and oil to keep meat moist. Even then you don't want to go past medium to medium well or it's going to be dry and tough.

[AJ]

If you have to have them well done, go low and slow. Have the temp low and take your time. Use indirect heat on a grill.

Never poke holes in the meat with a fork. Use tongs to turn the meat. Holes let the juices escape.

Add some bacon to keep them moist while cooking.

Marinade the meat for a day prior to cooking.

If cooking on a grill, pull the meat off slightly early and let it rest for 5 minutes or so. This will let the juices redistribute from the center to the edges of the meat. NEVER cut into a piece of meat hot off the grill to see if its done. Use an instant read thermometer insead of cutting into meat to see if its done. Insert the thermometer from the side for best results.

If you must pan fry the meat, first get the skillet very hot and sear the meat to lock in the juices. Add liquid or something to the skillet to reduce the temp and let the meat simmer until desired doneness.

I have found that most of the tenderness comes from how its prepared. If its a typically tougher piece of meat like briskett, it gets cooked low and slow. I cook briskett for 15 hours. Its extremely tender and juicy when done.

[Bow Hunter Derek]

Like many have said, it sounds like you are over cooking it.

Most of the venison we eat in my family is either ground and used in dishes or steaks. The ground is easy to deal with, brown it just like hamburger. Steaks on the other hand take some practice. What I found best, regardless of how you marinate or not marinate, is to start with a VERY HOT grill. Get the grill very hot before you ever put the meat on. I set my gas grill to high for about 10 minutes before the first piece of meat ever touches it. Once hot, place the steak on the grill and let that side sear for 1 to 2 minutes (exact time depends a lot on the grill and your expericence), then flip the steaks and sear the other side about the same amount of time. This does two things. First it locks in the natural juices in the meat. Second, it gives your steak that brown outer layer with the cool grill marks. Once the meat is seared, drop the heat on the grill, or move the meat away from the heat on a charcoal grill. Now, let the steaks slow cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Once both sides are done, take them off the grill and let them set at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving. The result is a juicy steak that is brown on the outside and pink in the middle. Remember that venison will look rarer than beef when fully cooked. If the middle is browned up, then it is way over cooked.

My favorite way to grill steaks is just as described, but during the grilling process, I brush on a mixture of 3 tbs melted butter, 3 tbs brown sugar, and 3 tbs of worshteshire (sp?) sauce. Brush it on every couple minutes while grilling and it is some of the best eating steak you will ever have.

Good luck. Remember, good grilling comes with practice.

[Andrea]

Thanks guys. One of my faorite ways to eat deer is frying it. Never over cook that way, but it is always a little tough. Should it soak overnite or something before I flour it and fry it??? I have never noticed a "wild" taste with venison so I'm not trying to cook it out. I have used the Coke bottle method for tenderizing it before. ( You lightly pound the meat with the open end of a glass Coke bottle til it resembles a cubed steak) Just thought there might be a better way.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

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Thanks guys. One of my faorite ways to eat deer is frying it. Never over cook that way, but it is always a little tough. Should it soak overnite or something before I flour it and fry it??? I have never noticed a "wild" taste with venison so I'm not trying to cook it out. I have used the Coke bottle method for tenderizing it before. ( You lightly pound the meat with the open end of a glass Coke bottle til it resembles a cubed steak) Just thought there might be a better way.

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Instead of using the coke bottle, use what's in the bottle. Coke is a tenderizer, due to the acid content, and it leaves no taste behind. You can also use white vinegar, but it will leave a slight taste. I like the vinegar taste on foul (doves, chicken, etc) but I think venison is better without it. A strong red wine like merlot will also work, but it will also leave a taste on the meat.

For chicken frying, I get my oil very hot and make sure I've got a good coating of batter on the slices. It takes about 2 minutes per side, and make sure you only turn it once. Also, this method works best if the slices are not more than 3/4 inches thick, 1/2 inch is even better.

[AJ]

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Coke is a tenderizer, due to the acid content, and it leaves no taste behind.

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I have noticed a slightly sweeter taste when marinating with pop. I also occasionally use apple cider for the same thing. It will break down the fibers and tenderize the meat.

[lil hunter]

bow hunter derek, my dad cooked some deer steaks tonight, just like you described, along with the butter/brown sugar/weird name mixture. It was the best deer steak i've ever eatin. Great recipe.

[Andrea]

Oooooo....I LOVE Coca-Cola. Gonna have to try that marinade. THANKS!!! Apple cider sounds good too!!

[Bow Hunter Derek]

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bow hunter derek, my dad cooked some deer steaks tonight, just like you described, along with the butter/brown sugar/weird name mixture. It was the best deer steak i've ever eatin. Great recipe.

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Glad I could help.

[gfourhunter]

bass pro shop

[HarvDog]

I haven't fried venison very much but the one way I did do it that turned out really good was...cutting the meat into little strips, soaking them in worcester sauce, then doing a quick fry of each of them and a pan with a little oil. Doesn't take long and they are tasty!

[Swamphunter]

Beat it. Then when you putit on the grill or in the pan, sear both sides of the meat as quickly as you can. By that I mean sear the one side and as soon as it is seared, before the juice can escape through the top, flip it and sear the topside also. The don't flip the meat anymore than is necessary.

[NS whitetail]

[ QUOTE ]
bow hunter derek, my dad cooked some deer steaks tonight, just like you described, along with the butter/brown sugar/weird name mixture. It was the best deer steak i've ever eatin. Great recipe.



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oh ya ----- ya can't beat that recipe