How to Tenderize Pork
Use a meat mallet., Use a tenderizing marinade., Brine the pork., Use a commercial meat tenderizer.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use a meat mallet.
Cuts of pork are at their toughest when the muscle fibers making up the meat are long and intact.
To begin tenderizing the pork before seasoning or cooking it, try breaking up the muscle fibers using a meat mallet (sometimes called a "meat tenderizer").
These usually take the form of either a heavy hammer or mallet with a spiked surface used for beating the meat or a sharp-pronged tool used for stabbing into the meat.
The goal is similar with either — simply bash or stab the meat to break up its muscle fibers.
If you don't have one of these specialty tools, don't sweat it.
You can also use an ordinary fork or even your bare hands to get the same effect if you don't have a mallet handy.
Stab, pummel, or mash the meat to break up the muscle fibers and make a more tender dish. -
Step 2: Use a tenderizing marinade.
Marinades are a great way to both add flavor to meat and make it more tender.
However, not all marinades are created equal — to tenderize pork, your marinade needs to contain either an acid or a tenderizing enzyme.
Both of these types of chemicals break down the tightly coiled proteins in meat on the molecular level.
However, using too much of either of these substances is a bad idea — too much acid can actually make meat tougher by denaturing its proteins and too much tenderizing enzyme can make meat mushy.Acids like citrus juices, vinegars, and wines are common in many pork marinade recipes.
For instance, it's not uncommon to see red wine paired with soy sauce and other ingredients (like brown sugar) as a pork marinade.To avoid the toughening effect that can occur with strongly acidic marinades, you may want to use an acidic dairy product instead — yogurt and buttermilk are only mildly acidic and make great marinade bases for juicy, delicious pork chops.
Tenderizing enzymes can be found in the juices of several fruits.
For instance, pineapple, which contains the enzyme bromelain, and papaya, which contains the enzyme papain, are both excellent tenderizing ingredients.However, it's important to remember that in high doses, these enzymes can work too well, producing mushy meat. , Brining is a technique similar to marinating that is especially well-suited to lean cuts of pork (like loin chops).
Brining involves soaking your meat in salt water to increase the tenderness and moistness of the final dish.
Brines always contain salt and water, but can also include other ingredients for added flavor like apple cider, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme.
Because brining can give the pork a salty taste, generally, you'll want to avoid applying too much salt when eating your pork or applying a salty dry rub after brining.
For a great brine recipe, combine 1 gallon (3.8 L) water, 3/4 cup salt, 3/4 cup sugar, and black pepper to taste in a large bowl and stir to dissolve (heating the water in a pot can speed up the dissolving process).
Add your pork to the bowl, cover, and refrigerate until you begin cooking.
Depending on the type of pork you're cooking, optimal brining times will vary.
For instance, pork chops usually require about 12 hours to a full day, whole pork loin roasts can require several days of brining, and tenderloin can be ready in as few as six hours., Another option for tenderizing your pork is to use an artificial meat tenderizer.
These meat-tenderizing substances usually come in the form of a powder but are also sometimes available as liquids.
Often, the active ingredient in these tenderizers is papain, the natural meat-softening chemical found in papayas.
As with papaya, it's important to remember not to over-use meat tenderizer or it's possible to get a piece of meat with an unpleasantly soft texture.
Always apply meat tenderizer sparingly.
Lightly dampen the surface of your pork with water just before cooking, then sprinkle evenly with about 1 teaspoon of meat tenderizer per pound of meat.
Pierce the meat with a fork at roughly 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) intervals and begin cooking.
If your meat tenderizer is labeled as "seasoned"
it will usually contain salt — in this case, don't season with extra salt before cooking. -
Step 3: Brine the pork.
-
Step 4: Use a commercial meat tenderizer.
Detailed Guide
Cuts of pork are at their toughest when the muscle fibers making up the meat are long and intact.
To begin tenderizing the pork before seasoning or cooking it, try breaking up the muscle fibers using a meat mallet (sometimes called a "meat tenderizer").
These usually take the form of either a heavy hammer or mallet with a spiked surface used for beating the meat or a sharp-pronged tool used for stabbing into the meat.
The goal is similar with either — simply bash or stab the meat to break up its muscle fibers.
If you don't have one of these specialty tools, don't sweat it.
You can also use an ordinary fork or even your bare hands to get the same effect if you don't have a mallet handy.
Stab, pummel, or mash the meat to break up the muscle fibers and make a more tender dish.
Marinades are a great way to both add flavor to meat and make it more tender.
However, not all marinades are created equal — to tenderize pork, your marinade needs to contain either an acid or a tenderizing enzyme.
Both of these types of chemicals break down the tightly coiled proteins in meat on the molecular level.
However, using too much of either of these substances is a bad idea — too much acid can actually make meat tougher by denaturing its proteins and too much tenderizing enzyme can make meat mushy.Acids like citrus juices, vinegars, and wines are common in many pork marinade recipes.
For instance, it's not uncommon to see red wine paired with soy sauce and other ingredients (like brown sugar) as a pork marinade.To avoid the toughening effect that can occur with strongly acidic marinades, you may want to use an acidic dairy product instead — yogurt and buttermilk are only mildly acidic and make great marinade bases for juicy, delicious pork chops.
Tenderizing enzymes can be found in the juices of several fruits.
For instance, pineapple, which contains the enzyme bromelain, and papaya, which contains the enzyme papain, are both excellent tenderizing ingredients.However, it's important to remember that in high doses, these enzymes can work too well, producing mushy meat. , Brining is a technique similar to marinating that is especially well-suited to lean cuts of pork (like loin chops).
Brining involves soaking your meat in salt water to increase the tenderness and moistness of the final dish.
Brines always contain salt and water, but can also include other ingredients for added flavor like apple cider, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme.
Because brining can give the pork a salty taste, generally, you'll want to avoid applying too much salt when eating your pork or applying a salty dry rub after brining.
For a great brine recipe, combine 1 gallon (3.8 L) water, 3/4 cup salt, 3/4 cup sugar, and black pepper to taste in a large bowl and stir to dissolve (heating the water in a pot can speed up the dissolving process).
Add your pork to the bowl, cover, and refrigerate until you begin cooking.
Depending on the type of pork you're cooking, optimal brining times will vary.
For instance, pork chops usually require about 12 hours to a full day, whole pork loin roasts can require several days of brining, and tenderloin can be ready in as few as six hours., Another option for tenderizing your pork is to use an artificial meat tenderizer.
These meat-tenderizing substances usually come in the form of a powder but are also sometimes available as liquids.
Often, the active ingredient in these tenderizers is papain, the natural meat-softening chemical found in papayas.
As with papaya, it's important to remember not to over-use meat tenderizer or it's possible to get a piece of meat with an unpleasantly soft texture.
Always apply meat tenderizer sparingly.
Lightly dampen the surface of your pork with water just before cooking, then sprinkle evenly with about 1 teaspoon of meat tenderizer per pound of meat.
Pierce the meat with a fork at roughly 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) intervals and begin cooking.
If your meat tenderizer is labeled as "seasoned"
it will usually contain salt — in this case, don't season with extra salt before cooking.
About the Author
Emma Brown
With a background in education and learning, Emma Brown brings 12 years of hands-on experience to every article. Emma believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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