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Health & Fitness

EAT THIS! Love Me Tender Steak Tips (a new old trick)

A super easy meat tenderizing recipe

Last weekend I was invited up to my friend Diane and her
husband Ryan’s house. I have known Diane for a couple years …mostly through her niece (and my best friend Jen).


Diane is literally known for her amazing soups she is a head chef at a ski resort up north. So most of you have probably had the pleasure of enjoying her tasty offerings. But this past weekend it was HOT, not exactly soup weather,  we were poolside knocking back pitchers  of white Sangria when it happened….Ryan came
out turned on the grill and reveled a big tin foil tray of steak tips that had
been marinating for 2 days. Though slightly intoxicated , the aroma was hypnotic
enough to coax all of us out from the water and onto the deck…  within minutes they were done. Now  when I say these babies literally cut open
with a fork, they LITERALLY cut open with a fork! I don’t think we even gave
them time to cool off before slicing off our first bite and then…………………………Heaven!
They were smoky and tangy with a little hit of sweet!! The texture was
incredibly tender. Of course I immediately wanted to know where they got the
meat and what the hell did they do to it!!? Ryan said they got the meat at “McKinnon’s Butcher Shop” but the trick was, are you ready?................COKE . I have heard about this for years as a chef…but for some reason I never had the
inclination or memory recall to give it a go. I kind of always took the more
traditional approaches.

There are really 3 main ways to tenderize meat. The goal for
all three is the same…to break down the connective tissue .The first is
basically beating the crap out of it with a mallet. A lot of you are familiar
with this method. The second is thermal tenderization (think slow cooker… the
meat is broken down using heat.) The final method of tenderization and the one
that most people are least familiar with is enzymatic tenderization. Enzymes
are simply biological molecules that increase the rate of a reaction. Kiwi and
pineapple are two commonly used fruit enzymes…also “Dry-aging”- that’s when the natural enzymes found in the meat help break down the collagen over time. It
results in a tender, flavorful piece of meat without altering the structure of
the meat fibers.

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So the theory is that Coke helps break down the meat using
its ever so famous acidic qualities. I decided to try it out…why not right? I
have to say…the meat was amazing. It was tender and the beef flavor was almost
amplified.  Everyone that was over that night all remarked on how tender and tasty the tips were.  So here it is kids, three ingredients  for what is now a permanent marinade in the Mason kitchen. Thank you Diane and Ryan for introducing me to this...I can not believe it took me so long to catch on !:


*Can of Coke

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*1 cup Ketchup


*1 cup Italian dressing


Beef(any cut)


Mix really well. Pour over the meat in an air tight container.
Refrigerate  meat for 24-48 hours. Cook
as usual…I recommend grilling.

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