You’ve probably had a tough steak before. It’s not the kind of meat you can cut with a fork, and it’s not something you want to eat unless it’s been cooked properly.
If you’re wondering how to make tough steak tender, this guide is for you! We’ll go over some common reasons why your meat might be tough and explain how to fix them so that each bite is tender and delicious.
Picking the Right Cut of Steak
When you’re shopping for steak, you’ll find a variety of cuts. Some are very tender, while others are best suited to braising or slow cooking. The following chart will help you select the right cut for your needs:
- Tenderness: How much effort it takes to chew through each bite
- Flavor: How much flavor is imparted by fat marbling and/or seasonings (like salt)
Buying and Storing Steak
- Where to buy steak
- Storing steak properly
- Knowing when steak has gone bad
Preparing the Steak
To make the steak tender, you need to trim the fat. This is especially important if you’re cooking a lean cut of meat like flank steak or skirt steak.
If there’s too much fat, it will be hard for your knife to cut through the meat and into the muscle fibers that make up its structure.
Next, marinate your steak in whatever liquid (like oil) or dry rub seasoning mix suits your taste buds best!
The longer it sits in this mixture, the more flavor will permeate into each bite of meat when you finally cook it up on your grill or stovetop panini press later on down this road towards deliciousness!
Cooking the Steak
The next step is to choose the right cooking method and temperature. If you’re using an oven, use a meat thermometer to make sure your steak reaches the desired internal temperature.
For example, if you want to cook a medium-rare steak (about 130 degrees Fahrenheit).
Place it in the oven with an initial temperature of about 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes before reducing it down to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for another 20 minutes or so depending on how big your cut is and how much fat there is on top of it (you want any excess fat melted off).
Resting the Steak
Resting is an important step in the cooking process, but it’s often overlooked. Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout your steak, making it more tender and flavorful.
The key is to let your steak rest for at least five minutes before cutting into it but if you can wait 10 or 15 minutes, even better!
If you’re using a meat thermometer to check don’t forget that they take time as well: they need to reach their target temperature before they start beeping or flashing at you.
Tenderizing Tough Steak
- Tenderizing marinade: This is the most common method of tenderizing steak, and it works by breaking down the muscle fibers in your meat. A marinade can be as simple as salt or sugar mixed with olive oil and lemon juice, but you can also use a more complex mixture of herbs, spices, garlic and other ingredients that will add flavor to your steak while they break down its fibers.
- Meat mallet: If you don’t have any tenderizing marinade on hand but still want to make sure your meat is extra tender when cooked, try using a meat mallet before cooking. You’ll need to pound each side of your cut until it’s thin enough for cooking purposes (about 1/4 inch thick), then place both sides back together so they form one large piece again before cooking them normally in whatever way suits your preferences best whether that’s grilling outdoors over charcoal or broiling inside on top of an electric burner!
- Jaccard: This tool looks like two thin blades attached together at 90 degree angles from each other; when pressed firmly against any type
Slow Cooking Tough Steak
- Using a slow cooker: Slow cooking is a great way to make tough steak tender. The heat from the slow cooker will cook the meat slowly, allowing it to break down over time and become more tender.
- Braising steak: Braising is a technique that involves browning meat in hot oil before adding liquid and letting it simmer on low heat for several hours or until the meat is tender enough to cut with a fork. This method works best with larger cuts of beef like chuck roast or brisket because they take longer than smaller cuts like flank steak or sirloin tips you’ll need at least 4 hours for these larger cuts! If you’re braising something smaller, just keep an eye on your dish as it cooks so that nothing burns on top of your stovetop burner (and remember: never leave food unattended).
- Using a pressure cooker: If all else fails and nothing seems right for making tough steaks more tender than usual…try using an electric pressure cooker! These nifty appliances allow users to cook foods faster than regular ovens through pressurized steam which increases temperatures inside its chamber up towards 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 Celsius).
Grinding Tough Steak
Grinding steak for burgers, tacos or kabobs is a great way to make tough cuts tender. If you’re looking for a way to use up that tough cut of meat in your freezer, this is the perfect solution!
The Best Way To Tenderize Steak On A Budget
- A meat mallet, like this one from Williams-Sonoma, is great for tenderizing steak. It’s got a nice weight to it and will help break up the muscle fibers in your meat.
- You can also use a meat tenderizer like this one by OXO that has sharp blades that cut through tough fibers in your steak. If you’re looking for something more affordable, try this one from Cuisinart–it has sharp edges that will do the trick!
- If all else fails, try pounding out your own steak with a cast iron skillet or grill pan (bonus points if it’s seasoned!). The heavy material will help flatten out any bumps or uneven bits on top of each piece of meat before cooking them into oblivion later on down below inside an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about ten minutes per side depending upon how thickly sliced each piece happens.
Conclusion
To make your steak tender, there are a few things you can do. First and foremost, you should know how to prepare it properly.
The best way to do this is by marinating the meat overnight in vinegar and oil before grilling it over high heat until medium rare (about 135 degrees F).
This will ensure that your meat is tender while still retaining its natural flavor.
The next step is buying high quality ingredients: find a butcher who sells grass-fed beef from local farms if possible.
They’ll have fresher products that taste better than anything you can get at a grocery store or big box retailer and they’ll often offer lower prices as well!
