If you’re a consumer of grass-fed organic meat in Vancouver, you’ll probably already know about it’s health-giving benefits and recognize the delicious, natural flavor. Though for many, the experience of eating grass-fed organic meat is second to none, there are always ways to improve and experiment with its taste– for example, by tenderizing it to soften the texture and enhance its delicious flavor.
In this post we take a look at some easy but rewarding tips for tenderizing and marinating your locally-sourced, organic meat in Vancouver.
1. Marinate Grass-fed Organic Meat
Organic meat can have a slightly tougher texture than grain-fed meat; this is because the animals have lived natural, active lives, and so have less fat in their bodies, and thicker muscle fibres. Fortunately, this “tougher” quality isn’t difficult to counteract. Marinate your meat before cooking and it will allow the absorption of enzymes for breaking down any tightness, resulting in a softer, more flavorful bite.
2. Let Acids Do the Work
There are a number of ways to marinate your meat, but there are usually 3 components to a marinade: oil, acid, and herbs. The most common acids tend to be red wine, vinegar, lemon (or any citrus) juice. By allowing these acids to soak your cut of meat, you’ll let them alter the consistency to a pleasing degree. Alternatively, you can cover your organic meat in coarse salt and leave it to sit for an hour per inch of thickness. Once you’ve deemed enough time has gone by, rinseall of the salt off, pat it dry thoroughly, and it will be ready to cook.
3. Cook Low and Slow
One great tip for making sure your grass-fed organic meat is nice and tender, is to cook it slowly over a longer period of time. Perfect for cooking pulled meats, casseroles and barbeque to perfection, this method will keep the meat juicy. Aim to cook only larger cuts of meat like this, however, because thinner cuts will just become dry with prolonged exposure to heat.
4. Use a Meat Mallet
A meat mallet is a tenderizing hammer that is a physical, but fast and effective way to soften grass-fed organic meat. Make sure to use this method only on boneless, skinless cuts of meat, where pounding will break up the fibers, resulting in a more supple finish. Refrigerate the meat for up to 3 hours afterward to get the best out of your dish.
