>Does anyone out there know what the Chinese restaurants use to tenderize
>their meats in for example, beef broccoli, mongolian beef, etc.?
>
I'm guessing MSG...?
Best regards,
Ginny Sher
I believe they use Bi Carbonate of soda with liquids to tenderise meats.I
do a few chinese dishes myself and a few of them call for 1 hour marinating
ing liquids with a measured amount of Bi Carbonate of soda.I read somewhere
that it helps to break down the meat and tenderise it.Others may know more
about this .If I find any references I will post them.
Barry
Barry
> I believe MSG is used for some commercial meat tenderizing functions. I think
> it may even be available in the grocery store.
Brand name, "Accent."
--
Karen O'
37:23:10 N
122:04:58 W
><ko...@uhunix5.its.hawaii.edu> wrote:
>
>>Does anyone out there know what the Chinese restaurants use to tenderize
>>their meats in for example, beef broccoli, mongolian beef, etc.?
>>
>
>I'm guessing MSG...?
MSG is a flavor enhancer/intensifier, it does not tenderize. What makes you
suspect that Chinese restaurants apply tenderizers to the meat in those
particular dishes... more likely they do not, instead they use particularly
tender cuts of beef, are careful to slice it accross the grain and are
extremely careful to cook the meat very minimally.
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
I said it was a guess...obviously a wrong one. I knew MSG was an
enhancer. Somehow I assumed it also tenderized. I stand corrected.
Best regards,
Ginny Sher
Roseanne
Karen C Koki <ko...@uhunix5.its.hawaii.edu> wrote in message
news:9dchmr$fhm$1...@news.hawaii.edu...
I marinade the chicken, beef, etc with a mixture of beaten egg white and
cornstarch. These were instructions from the Chinese cookbooks I learned from.
If I don't use this method, the meat is definitely not as tender. It only
needs 10 or 15 minutes to do the job. Longer if more time is available. I am
not an expert. I just love the stuff.
Florence
>(PENMART01) wrote:
>
>> (Ginny Sher) writes:
>>
>>><ko...@uhunix5.its.hawaii.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Does anyone out there know what the Chinese restaurants use to tenderize
>>>>their meats in for example, beef broccoli, mongolian beef, etc.?
>>>>
>>>
>>>I'm guessing MSG...?
>>
>>MSG is a flavor enhancer/intensifier, it does not tenderize. What makes you
>>suspect that Chinese restaurants apply tenderizers to the meat in those
>>particular dishes... more likely they do not, instead they use particularly
>>tender cuts of beef, are careful to slice it accross the grain and are
>>extremely careful to cook the meat very minimally.
>I said it was a guess...obviously a wrong one. I knew MSG was an
>enhancer. Somehow I assumed it also tenderized. I stand corrected.
As you've stated, "it was a guess". . . no need to stand corrected.
My intent was not to correct, but to educate. If now you don't forget my MSG
lesson I've been successful. Btw, for the above mentioned dishes the Chinese
often tenderize meats with a tasteless, odorless substance, the enzyme
"papain". Many of their dishes also incorporate fresh pineapple, which also
contains an enzyme (bromelain) which is a potent meat tenderizer, as well as a
delightful flavoring agent... the same enzyme which prevents gelatin from
setting, which is why gelatin desserts warn against the inclusion of fresh
pineapple. I often include pineapple juice in marinades (a more natural
product than the commercially prepared meat tenderizing powders containing
papain) excellent for tenderizing pork spare ribs (and all other pork cuts), a
gadzillion times better than boiled pork, unless you're into head cheese... or
like your man soft... btw, much based-in-truth sci-fi has been written about
flesh dissolving plants. . .
pa*pa*in (noun)
[International Scientific Vocabulary, from papaya]
First appeared circa 1890
: a protease in the juice of unripe papaya that is used esp. as a tenderizer
for meat and in medicine
---
bro*me*lain also bro*me*lin (noun)
[bromelain by alteration of bromelin, from New Latin Bromelia]
First appeared 1894
: a protease obtained esp. from the pineapple
---
meat tenderizers
Hanging and aging is how many meat processors tenderize meat, but the home cook
can easily do so by simple mechanical or chemical methods. Tenderizing meat
mechanically is accomplished by breaking down the meat's tough fibers through
pounding.
Tenderizing meat chemically refers to softening the meat fibers by long, slow
cooking, by MARINATING it in an acid-based MARINADE, or by using a commercial
meat tenderizer.
Most forms of the latter are a white powder, composed mostly of a papaya
extract called papain, an enzyme that breaks down tough meat fibers. The use of
this enzyme is nothing new — cooks have been using papaya juice to tenderize
meat for ages. Powdered meat tenderizer is available at most supermarkets. Most
brands contain salt, sugar (in the form of DEXTROSE) and the anticaking agent
calcium stearate.
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995
based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
Yes, slice it thin across the grain, if you're using a big
chinese style cleaver then as you slice each, put the slice
on its flat side and whack it hard on the board with the
broad side of the knife. It's almost like smearing the meat.
Once you get in the groove it's fast... slice smack. It
depends on how you want the cuts too, you can first cut
thin sheets parallel to the surface of the meat and whack
each sheet then slice into skinny strips.
Then massage some cornstarch into the sliced meat at the end and
let it sit for a few hours in the fridge. And (as the poster
also said) don't overcook it... cook it hot in a hot pan with
oil that is hot... but just briefly. It should be very
tender.
I don't use MSG, it's not a tenderizer and too much can give
some people the Crushingly Uncomfortable Neck Trauma Sensation.
Wait, let me rename that.
-stanton
Minh
Minh Phan wrote:
>
> Baking soda.
>
How?
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Nielsen Stud. Polyt. in Computer Vision and Graphics at Aalborg
University
E-Mail: arc...@kom.auc.dk
http://mp3.com/archon2
http://www.archonia.dk
Well then... I stand educated ;-)
Best regards,
Ginny Sher
> I marinade the chicken, beef, etc with a mixture of beaten egg white and
> cornstarch. These were instructions from the Chinese cookbooks I learned from.
> If I don't use this method, the meat is definitely not as tender. It only
> needs 10 or 15 minutes to do the job. Longer if more time is available. I am
> not an expert. I just love the stuff.
I do this, too (especially for chicken)-we must have the same cookbooks!
I think the cornstarch or water chestnut powder/beaten egg white mixture
(I also add a little sherry) coats the chicken and seals in the juices
during cooking. Since the chicken doesn't lose internal moisture during
stir-frying, it stays tender.
Marca
I believe you've educated the masses with that one... Even I (a veritable
nobody), learned something there...
Una
i thought the egg white/cornstarch was to better enable the meat to
hold on to the sauce.
your pal,
blake
That may be the case but it definitly makes it more tender. I don't know why
but it does.
Florence
Jerri White
Never heard of it being used for meat before, well, you learn something
every day :-)
Papaine is the stuff I use, an enzyme made from paw-paw/papaya. Buy a
paw-paw, chop it up and soak your meat in that - but not too long, or it
gets mushy.
humber
"Minh Phan" <minh...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3AFB173C...@sympatico.ca...
>penm...@aol.como says...
>> I often include pineapple juice in marinades
>>
>
>Pass along your marinade using pineapple juice..sounds great.
Into blender, place one cup Dole pineapple juice, one quarter cup Goya coconut
milk, juice of one lime, six ice cubes and four ounces Planters rum; blend on
high for thirty seconds, pour into large chilled goblet, add one large red ripe
strawberry and go marinate yourself... repeat as necessary.
Farmer John
"Minh Phan" <minh...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3AFB173C...@sympatico.ca...
>
"Karen C Koki" <ko...@uhunix5.its.hawaii.edu> wrote in message
news:9dchmr$fhm$1...@news.hawaii.edu...