London Broil and meat tenderizing

[Jenise]

Just read an article in Bon Appetit espousing the use of baking soda as a tenderizer. Tenderizing isn't so much a new idea as the reviving of an old one--anyone remember Adolf's meat tenderizer in a jar?--but not one I've ever tested personally.

The article homed in on London Broil as the right platform for this idea, while acknowledging that London Broil isn't a cut so much as a preparation: one large family sized piece of thick meat sliced thinly after roasting. The cut itself can be whatever a butcher might choose to put out as same, and there might be regional variations. Where I grew up in Southern California, we knew London Broil as an extra thick (2") slab of top sirloin. Stores where I live now use top round. Bon Appetit used a flank steak.

What captured my attention about BA's recipe was the use of just 3/4 tsp of baking soda. Seems tiny to me. They swear that as little as one hour (in a marinade) at room temperature brings about a tenderizing benefit. But one is probably better off going with the other end of their window--12 hours, chilled.

I like the sound of their marinade, btw. For steak I sometimes use Worcestershire (with dried mustard and sherry), and I've been known to use soy sauce and vinegar together, particularly with pork. What I've never done is combine all three, and that has my interest.

They say to mix :

4 cloves of sliced garlic
1/4 c EVOO
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 T Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp baking soda
black pepper to taste

Optional finish: after searing/roasting/grilling your steak however you choose, bring the leftover marinade to a boil, let the foam subside, then whisk in a few T of butter to emulsify into a sauce, pour over meat.

Might just try this with some top sirloin--not that top sirloin is particularly tough. A tougher piece like top round might be a better test, but I can afford top sirloin and I have no love for round so that's what I'd do. Half marinated with BS, half marinated but without that ingredient, to see if there's a noticeable difference.

Btw, last week at Canlis restaurant in Seattle, a Culotte steak was part of my dinner. It had been a thick steak to start with, close to 3", and I was served three slices. Very rare, and it ate like butter. Incredible flavor. I doubt baking soda would get me to that result (more likely aging with koji rice or something), but still, I can dream.

Back when we had a house in Hawaii that we lived in for part of the year the most effective meat tenderizer was to just grab a papaya off one of our trees, scoop (eat) the flesh and then flatten the peels and put them on either side of the steak or whatever. The papain enzyme contained it them was very effective at tenderizing the meat enzymatically rather than by hammering them with a mallet. Also much quieter.

I think that we get papaya available locally now for much of the year so that could be used today We also used to grab either a lemon or a lime off the bush/tree in the garden and squeeze the juice into the half papayas - the citrus acidity cut the sweetness perfectly.

I sometimes miss the access to fruit like that on trees, but I sure don't miss having to prune bougainvillea hedges - I always came out looking like I had lost a wrestling match with badger - the thorns that made it good for security hedges also were coated with a somewhat toxic substance that made you break out in a rash.

That marinade isn't very far off from those in some classic Thai and Chinese beef dishes. Including the use of baking soda.

The tenderizer in Adolph's is bromelain, which is prepared from pineapples and contains some proteases.

Papayas contain papain, a potent protease and thus meat tenderizer.

The Wikipedia article says that the term "London broil" was coined in America and originally referred to flank steak marinated, broiled, and then cut into thin slices across the grain. But these days top round or other cuts are also used and the term "London broil" refers more to the technique than to any cut of meat.

The Thai dish Crying Tiger Beef is prepared this way except that the beef is grilled, not broiled, and it's served with a dipping sauce "hot enough to make a tiger cry".

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Back when we had a house in Hawaii that we lived in for part of the year the most effective meat tenderizer was to just grab a papaya off one of our trees, scoop (eat) the flesh and then flatten the peels and put them on either side of the steak or whatever.

How interesting! I've never heard this before. Was the meat tough? As I said in my intro, I've never looked into tenderizing because I've always been able to afford tender meat in the first place. That culotte steak at Canlis, however, had me rethinking that--the meat involved would have been top quality to begin with.

And yes re lime and papaya--my favorite breakfast when in Hawaii. When we get there, those two ingredients are the first things on our shopping list.

[Jenise]

That marinade isn't very far off from those in some classic Thai and Chinese beef dishes. Including the use of baking soda...The Thai dish Crying Tiger Beef is prepared this way except that the beef is grilled, not broiled, and it's served with a dipping sauce "hot enough to make a tiger cry".

-Paul W.

In spite of the name 'Broil' in the method, anymore anyway it's a misnomer. As long as it's a thick piece of meat sliced thinly after cooking, you've achieved London Broil.

Must try baking soda in beef destined for stir fries.

I have not tried any tenderizers myself. There was a time, in my younger days, when I bought cube steak.

Papaya aNd lime .. breakfast in Bali on my first trip overseas with my Peter.(1974,!!!!j can still smell and taste it. Mmmm.

I also have never used a meat tenderiser but had known about papaya and pineapple and also kiwi fruit https://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/t ... o%20mush.d

I believe you can substitute Baking powder for the soda with a similar result. BUT apparently baking soda doesn’t work like the baking powder when doing crispy chicken.

[Jenise]

Not long ago something I read somewhere caused me to marinate a steak in pineapple juice. Other ingredients were involved, but I can't remember what. I was more interested in the package of flavors than any ability to tenderize, though. Liked it but haven't done it again.

Discussing that has me remembering a 24 steak marinade I used to love involving canned peach nectar. Really delicious result--good flavor and crust. Wonder if peach nectar has any tenderizing powers.

I googled for "peach as a meat tenderizer" and didn't come up with anything except some general articles on using fresh fruit to tenderize meat. Those articles listed pineapple, papaya, mango, and lime, but not peach.

Does fajitas classify as a London broil?

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

I'd say no on that, Paul, because the meat is cut up before it's cooked.

Just shows you fajitas is a dish I never make. I thought the steak was grilled whole and then cut up.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

No, it's stir fried on a hot griddle and, usually, bell pepper and onion strips are stir-fried with the meat. Really good stuff. In Mexican restaurants it usually arrives sizzling on a hot metal plate.

I'm making fajitas this weekend and after doing some research I found out that pickle juice is a great tenderizer. I use a green olive stuffed with a large garlic clove for my martini at night. It comes from a company called Armstrong and they are delicious Greek olives. I am going to marinate my stir fry meat in that starting today along with a chile spice.