When Laura and I were married at the old age of 20, our budget was very tight and we bought meat in bulk and often the most economical. As an athlete I needed the protein, so any cut of meat would serve the purpose but it would be nice if it was tender and flavorful. Cheap and flavorful, was that really asking too much? My grandmother was fond of tenderizers and marinades, so armed with this knowledge, we always were able to turn a tough piece of meat into something nice, juicy and tender.
Lamb dishes are fondly viewed in different parts of the world. We are very fond of Mutton Stew and Greek Moussaka! I am very interested in making a Lamb curried dish…. so many to choose!
As a young couple, the meat we bought was very tough and consequently we spent most of our time using Enzyme tenderizers , like Adolf’s. However, almost any ‘chemical’ tenderizer will work given enough time. The enzyme tenderizers turn tough meats like game, lamb, mutton and goat into something marvelous.
Here are three popular fruits used for chemical tenderizing:
PAPAYA: the active ingredient is Papain and comes from the green skin of the plant. You can use Adolf’s meat tenderizer or make your own from a Papaya! It has been said that the indigenous of Pre-Columbian Mexico discovered that meat could be tenderized if it was first wrapped in the leaves of the Papaya plant.
PINEAPPLE: contains Bromelain that can be found in many parts of the Pineapple. You can buy McCormick’s or make it yourself. However, you have to use a fresh pineapple as the process of canning pineapple destroys much of the enzymes. Enzymes are heat sensitive.
KIWI FRUIT: contains Actinidin. This is a more expensive, but fun, tenderizer.
Mechanical Tenderizing:
As the name implies, Mechanical tenderizing is simply beating a piece of meat with one of many of the tools designed for this task. Usually, the hammer-like tool will be surrounded with a variety of spikes with the largest for the toughest cuts. Also available are needle like tools that help to increase the depth that the chemical tenderizers and marinade can reach.
Low Temperature:
The real key to cooking tough meat is to cook for a long time at a low temperature. Tough meats need to be covered as not to dry out and many perfect stews are made in this manner.
IS THE MEAT REALLY TOUGH… DO IT ALL!
Mutton is usually something that requires both a chemical and a mechanical tenderizing… even if you are going to grill it!
Roger
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