The Popular Breakfast Ingredient That is the Secret To Tender Meats
We’ve all heard of using salt for a brine to tenderize chicken or turkey, as well as citrus or wine to tenderize meat before cooking, but did you know that one of the best ways to slowly tenderize your meat lies in your breakfast bowl? Plain yogurt is the key to gently, but very effectively tenderizing meats before grilling or broiling this summer. The yogurt also not only gives it a big of extra tang, when the milk solids caramelize during the cooking process, it will leave behind the most crispy, tasty crust you could hope for!
If you look in the refrigerators of most middle-eastern kitchens you will find a tub of plain yogurt, since they use it all the time to marinate meat for some of their most popular recipes. They will marinate meat in a blend of yogurt and spices like garam masala, cumin, cirander, turmeric, and ginger and garlic pastes. But you can use whatever spices or aromatics sound good with the meat you are making.
So how does yogurt tenderize meat?
Yogurt contains two things that help tenderize meat: enzymes and lactic acid. The lactic acid is what does most of the work when it comes to tenderizing the meat. Lactic acid is much more mild than the citric acid you are probably already familiar marinating with--lemon juice or red wine. Lactic acid is a more mild acid, so it reacts with food in a more gentle way. The pH is not as low, so it is not breaking down the protein’s structure as much, or as quickly.
You have to be more careful with the lemony marinades because if you leave them to marinade overnight--it breaks down the protein too much and you will likely have a mushy, less-than-desirable rubbery texture.
What kind of yogurt is the best?
Greek yogurt is the best, but you can also use regular yogurt, you just want to use the “plain” flavor. You’ll want to thin it down with some water, stock, lemon juice, olive oil, or any combination of these. Mix in whatever spices you want, which could include paprika, cayenne, garlic, cumin, etc.
As a general rule, use about ½ cup plain Greek yogurt for every ½ pound of chicken. Make sure to add those spices, aromatics or even chopped fresh cilantro and/or green onions and your chicken will truly be infused from the inside out, as these flavors go into the pockets that are created from the lactic acid.
How long should it marinate?
Even as little as 15 minutes can make a big difference in flavor and tenderness, but for optimal results, 3 hours is a great length to marinate in the fridge. Because of the gentleness of the lactic acid, you can marinate up to 24 hours, but most people find the sweet spot to be anywhere from 15 minutes to no more than 6 hours, especially if you included lemon juice in your marinade mixture.
Have you used yogurt as a marinade before for meats? I plan to air fry some chicken kebabs tonight with these techniques and I cannot wait! Here is a 5-star recipe with 5.639 ratings from Food and Wine Magazine for Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken that you could try this out with.
1 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt
1 cup lightly packed cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt
pepper
3 one 1/2 pound chicken-halved, breast and rib bones removed, leg bones left intact
vegetable oil for brushing
Directions:
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If you look in the refrigerators of most middle-eastern kitchens you will find a tub of plain yogurt, since they use it all the time to marinate meat for some of their most popular recipes. They will marinate meat in a blend of yogurt and spices like garam masala, cumin, cirander, turmeric, and ginger and garlic pastes. But you can use whatever spices or aromatics sound good with the meat you are making.
So how does yogurt tenderize meat?
Yogurt contains two things that help tenderize meat: enzymes and lactic acid. The lactic acid is what does most of the work when it comes to tenderizing the meat. Lactic acid is much more mild than the citric acid you are probably already familiar marinating with--lemon juice or red wine. Lactic acid is a more mild acid, so it reacts with food in a more gentle way. The pH is not as low, so it is not breaking down the protein’s structure as much, or as quickly.
You have to be more careful with the lemony marinades because if you leave them to marinade overnight--it breaks down the protein too much and you will likely have a mushy, less-than-desirable rubbery texture.
What kind of yogurt is the best?
Greek yogurt is the best, but you can also use regular yogurt, you just want to use the “plain” flavor. You’ll want to thin it down with some water, stock, lemon juice, olive oil, or any combination of these. Mix in whatever spices you want, which could include paprika, cayenne, garlic, cumin, etc.
As a general rule, use about ½ cup plain Greek yogurt for every ½ pound of chicken. Make sure to add those spices, aromatics or even chopped fresh cilantro and/or green onions and your chicken will truly be infused from the inside out, as these flavors go into the pockets that are created from the lactic acid.
How long should it marinate?
Even as little as 15 minutes can make a big difference in flavor and tenderness, but for optimal results, 3 hours is a great length to marinate in the fridge. Because of the gentleness of the lactic acid, you can marinate up to 24 hours, but most people find the sweet spot to be anywhere from 15 minutes to no more than 6 hours, especially if you included lemon juice in your marinade mixture.
Have you used yogurt as a marinade before for meats? I plan to air fry some chicken kebabs tonight with these techniques and I cannot wait! Here is a 5-star recipe with 5.639 ratings from Food and Wine Magazine for Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken that you could try this out with.
Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken
This easy, fresh-tasting yogurt marinade helps the chicken stay juicy even if it's a little overcooked. The marinade also works well with skin-on boneless breasts or thighs. Plus: More Chicken Recipes Author: By Tom Mylan
Yield: 4
Serving size: 4
Ingredients:
Serving size: 4
1 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt
1 cup lightly packed cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt
pepper
3 one 1/2 pound chicken-halved, breast and rib bones removed, leg bones left intact
vegetable oil for brushing
Directions:
1. In a large resealable plastic bag, mix the yogurt with the cilantro, lemon juice, garlic cayenne, cumin, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Add the chicken halves and turn to coat. Seal the bag and transfer to a baking dish. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Bring the chicken to room temperature before grilling.
2. Set up a gas grill for indirect grilling, then heat to 400 degrees and oil the grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade, scraping off any excess; discard the marinade. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set the chicken skin side up on the grate over indirect heat. Close the grill and cook, turning once, until the chicken is browned and nearly cooked through, about 25 minutes; use a spray bottle filled with water to stop flare-ups.
3. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Flip the chicken and grill it over direct heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thighs registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Source: foodandwine.com
2. Set up a gas grill for indirect grilling, then heat to 400 degrees and oil the grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade, scraping off any excess; discard the marinade. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set the chicken skin side up on the grate over indirect heat. Close the grill and cook, turning once, until the chicken is browned and nearly cooked through, about 25 minutes; use a spray bottle filled with water to stop flare-ups.
3. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Flip the chicken and grill it over direct heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thighs registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Source: foodandwine.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Sources:
- www.freeimageslive.co.uk
- www.foodandwine.com
- www.thekitchn.com
- www.foodcrumbles.com
- www.popsci.com
- www.epicurious.com
Mary Richardson
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! mary@dvo.com
