Brilio.net - Meat is one of the main food ingredients which is often used in various types of cooking. Starting from soup, soto, rawon, rendang, to various stir-fries that can be made from basic meat ingredients. Not only does it taste delicious, meat is also rich in protein, vitamins and minerals which are important for body health.
The protein in meat helps build and repair body tissue, while the iron it contains is important for the production of red blood cells. Meat also contains vitamin B12, which is essential for nerve function and DNA formation. Therefore, meat can also be used as a healthy eating menu choice.
However, it is important to choose quality meat and prepare it in a healthy way to maximize its nutritional benefits. Apart from that, meat that is not processed well also tends to be tough. Eating meat with a hard texture can certainly reduce your appetite.
In fact, there are many ways you can process meat to make it more tender. One of the most frequently used methods is to boil meat using a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker with high pressure can help tenderize the texture of the meat.
However, if you don't have a pressure cooker, there are other tricks you can do. This trick for processing meat so it's tender was shared by Instagram user @oyku_pu3. Through one of the uploaded videos, he admitted that he had another, more practical method. However, this method requires one kitchen ingredient so that the texture of the meat is tender.
Reported by BrilioFood from Instagram @oyku_pu3 on Saturday (2/8), the kitchen ingredient in question is baking soda or baking soda. Well, baking soda contains active substances that can change the texture of meat.
photo: Instagram/@oyku_pu3
How to use it is clearer, just prepare meat that has been washed and cut into pieces. After that, put the meat in a basin or large bowl. If so, put baking soda in it. Stir until smooth using your hands.
"This is for 1 kg of meat, I use 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda," explained Instagram @oyku_pu3.
photo: Instagram/@oyku_pu3
If you have coated it evenly with baking soda, let it sit for 30 minutes. It's best not to let it sit for too long because the meat could fall apart later. After letting it sit, rinse the meat again until it is really clean. Only then is the meat ready to be processed.
photo: Instagram/@oyku_pu3
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, can tenderize meat because of its unique chemical properties. When used as a meat tenderizer, baking soda works by increasing the surface pH of the meat, making it more alkaline. This process affects the proteins in meat, especially proteins that function as a binder for muscle fibers, such as collagen.
Apart from that, baking soda also helps break down the bonds between proteins, especially collagen. Collagen is the main protein that provides strength and structure to connective tissue in meat. When collagen breaks down into softer gelatin, the meat will also be more tender and easier to chew.