How To Tenderize Steak So That Even Cheap Cuts Taste Incredible
One Good Thing by Jillee
32 mins ago
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Can't find your favorite cut (or can't stomach the price tag)? This simple hack will make any steak tender, juicy, and delicious.
The Best Way To Tenderize Steak On A Budget
When times are tough, being adaptable is one of the most useful and valuable skills you can have, especially in the kitchen. And I hope to help you out in that regard by showing you how to adapt to the constantly changing selection (not to mention the changing prices) in the meat department.
This quick and easy hack will help you turn even the bargain cuts of steak into tender, juicy, and amazingly delicious steaks you’ll be proud to serve at dinnertime. In this case, being adaptable will not only make your shopping experience less stressful, but it can save you a lot of money too! :-)
Related: 6 Extremely Useful Questions To Ask At The Meat Counter
This trick really works, which is why it’s one of my all-time most popular pins on Pinterest!
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This is the secret ingredient for transforming chewy and tough into tender and juicy!
5 Ways To Tenderize Steak
There are several popular ways to tenderize a cut of meat, and all of them can be effective. Those include:
- Pounding meat with the spiky side of a tenderizer to break up tough connective tissues and muscle fibers.
- Letting your meat rest after cooking.
- Cooking it “low and slow”.
- Marinating the meat, often with the help of fruits that contain enzymes, like pineapple, papaya, and kiwi.
- Slicing the meat against the grain.
While all of these methods can be effective, they almost all take extra time, which is a luxury you might not always have! Luckily I have a single foolproof method that’s the best of the bunch…
My Secret Ingredient: Salt
So what IS the simple secret behind this trick? It’s SALT! (The more I learn about cooking, the more I come to realize that the secret is almost always salt. Except for when the secret is butter.) ;-)
Yes, salting your steaks in a process called dry brining for one hour before cooking them will cause a miraculous transformation! From chewy and tough, to tender and juicy.
But not just ANY salt will do! Table salt is NOT recommended — you need to use a coarse sea salt or kosher salt. During the dry brining process, coarse salt helps to break down the proteins and muscle fibers in the meat, resulting in maximum tenderness. I’m getting hungry already!
Related: The One Chef’s Secret You Need To Know If You Love Steak
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Why Salt?
Salt is an interesting substance that can do a lot of different things to the food we eat. You may well be wondering, “I thought salt dried stuff out?” And you’d be right! When using salt in the kitchen, it’s all about the timing.
Over a short period of time (like an hour or even up to overnight,) a layer of coarse salt on a steak will draw out some of the meat’s natural juices. The juices will dissolve the salt, creating a brine. Most of the brine will then be reabsorbed, where it will tenderize and flavor the meat.
If left for a longer period of time (like weeks to months,) the salt would slowly pull all of the moisture out of the meat, curing and preserving it in the process. Fascinating!
Related: The 11 Most Devastating Mistakes You Can Make With Steak
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Don’t forget to give your steak a vigorous salt massage.
How To Tenderize Steak (Even Cheap Steak) By Dry Brining With Kosher Salt
To properly tenderize a steak, lay the steak out on a plate and cover each side with approximately 1 teaspoon of coarse kosher salt or sea salt before cooking. Use your fingers to gently work the salt granules into the surface, breaking down the fibers of the meat. (For even more flavor, add crushed garlic to the salt.)
Let the steak sit with this covering of salt for 45 minutes to an hour. Longer for thicker cuts.
Related: This New Way I Make Tri-Tip Is So Easy, It’s Almost Unbelievable
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A few paper towels are the best way to make sure your steaks are nice and dry before searing.
After the waiting period, use some paper towels to wipe away most of the salt. Then pat your steaks until they are good and dry, so you can get the delicious, crispy sear you want. If you don’t pat them dry, you’re basically steaming the meat, and steamed meat is bland and less flavorful.
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Season as desired, then grill to desired doneness.
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It might take a little longer, but this method is well worth the wait!
Serve and sit back and enjoy the happy faces around the dinner table. :-)
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The not-so-happy face of my grandpuppy Milo, seen here using his “sad eyes” to try and score some of that delicious steak.
Do you have a favorite tip or trick for making delicious steak at home?
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collage of two images showing a woman holding up a package of cheap steak and then cutting into a cooked steak
How To Tenderize Steak (Recipe)
Equipment
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
- 2 lbs petite sirloin steak
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
Instructions
- To properly tenderize a steak, lay the steak out on a plate and cover each side with approximately 1 teaspoon of kosher/sea salt before cooking. Use your fingers to gently work the salt granules into the surface, breaking down the fibers of the meat. (For even more flavor, add crushed garlic to the salt.)
© Provided by One Good Thing by Jillee woman pushing coarse sea salt onto two steaks to tenderize them
- Let the steak sit with this covering of salt for 45 minutes to an hour. Longer for thicker cuts.
© Provided by One Good Thing by Jillee ruining steak
- After the waiting period, rinse the salt off your steaks under cool running water.
© Provided by One Good Thing by Jillee
- Use some paper towels to pat your steaks until they are good and dry, so you can get the delicious, crispy sear you want. If you don’t pat them dry, you’re basically steaming the meat, and steamed meat is bland and less flavorful.
© Provided by One Good Thing by Jillee ruining steak
- Season as desired, then grill until desired doneness. Serve and sit back and enjoy the happy faces around the dinner table. :-)
© Provided by One Good Thing by Jillee steak cooking in a cast iron skillet
Video
Nutrition
One Good Thing by Jillee
One Good Thing by Jillee
