Sugary soft drinks might not be great for your health—but they can be very useful for cooking, especially when it comes to meat or anything grilled. Heated and reduced, Coke and Pepsi can impart an incredible caramel-like complexity to all kinds of dishes.

Cola’s high acidity and caramel flavor makes a surprisingly good meat tenderizer. Soda acts as great tenderizer—you could get a tender cut of meat grill-ready in less than a half-hour. Cola-tenderizing for 24 hours yields a meat dish that practically melts, like this Atlanta brisket.

As Cook’s Illustrated explains, baking soda alkalizes the meat’s surface, making it harder for the proteins to bond and thereby keeping the meat tenderer when cooked. Here’s what to do with a large piece of meat you might grill or pan-sear. ① Rub the meat with baking soda.

Simply soak your beef cuts in these natural tenderisers before cooking, and we guarantee the beef will be fall-apart tender!

• 1) Tea. Tea contains tannins, which are a natural tenderiser.
• 2) Coffee.
• 3) Cola.
• 4) Pineapple, pawpaw, figs, kiwis.
• 5) Ginger.
• 6) Baking Soda.
• 7) Vinegar.
• 8) Beer or wine.

It brings out meat’s natural flavors and also tenderizes it by breaking down myosin, a tough protein found in meat, just like in a good brine. Just like salt, soy sauce is a flavor enhancer and builder. Season steaks with a papaya- or pineapple-based rub or marinade.

How long can you marinate meat in soy sauce?

Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy. Do not save the used marinade.

8 Simple Ways to Make Tough Meat Tender

1. Physically tenderize the meat.
2. Use a marinade.
3. Don’t forget the salt.
4. Let it come up to room temperature.
5. Cook it low-and-slow.
6. Hit the right internal temperature.
7. Rest your meat.
8. Slice against the grain.

Cutting crosswise against the grain or muscle fibers makes it easier for tenderizing. Skirt or flank steaks are excellent for grilling and may require much more than slicing against the grain. Using acidic ingredients like vinegar, or lemon juice breaks down tough proteins and add flavor to your beef cut.

Cooking a steak over direct, intense heat makes it more firm and dry the longer you cook it. On the other hand, boiling/stewing meat adds moisture, compared to the loss of moisture from direct heat. This in turn makes the meat more tender, and the longer you cook it the softer it’ll get.

8 ways to make tough meat more tender

1. Physically tenderize the meat. For tough cuts like chuck steak, a meat mallet can be a surprisingly effective way to break down those tough muscle fibers.
2. Don’t forget the salt.
3. Cook it low-and-slow.
4. Rest your meat.

You can add a little bit of water or broth to a pan and simmer the meat for a few minutes. The goal is to allow the liquid to penetrate the meat without allowing it to overcook even more. This should take a couple of minutes. If you add a couple tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice, this also helps revive the meat.

Whether you overcooked your steaks or a roast, dried-out beef isn’t a favorite of anyone. For steak, slice it up, and soak it overnight in your favorite marinade. Use it in wraps, soups, shepherd’s pie or pastas. For roasts, place it in the slow cooker with barbecue sauce, and cook on low for a few hours.

Does Worcestershire Tenderize Meat? Yes, Worcestershire sauce is a great meat tenderizer. It has vinegar in it, which breaks down the meat fibers. It’s highly concentrated, so it penetrates deep into the steak for more flavor.