need help

hello,

i was watching some cooking anime(which is actually written by a real chef) and saw that honey was used to tenderize meat. is it actually true? also, does onion tenderize meat as well?

if yes wouldn't it be a good idea to make beef wellington but treat the beef like a chaliapin steak to make the meat softer.

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brian_martin2001

I'm highly skeptical that honey is a meat tenderizer. There was only 1 website that I found that laid claim to it being this, but they were unable to provide any science, just that it is. Honey, in and of itself, doesn't have a lot of protein, and all of the substances that tenderize meat are proteins. It's possible that a specific type of honey may have a tenderizing effect, but even that I wouldn't to see some scientific evidence.

As for beef Wellington, it's made with the most tender cut of beef: the tenderloin or filet. Why you would you want/need to make that even more tender? Or if your planning on making it with another piece of beef other than thetender loin, considering how you make chaliapin steak, it wouldn't really be beef Wellington by the time you're done with it.

Edit: I misspoke when i said all of the compounds that tenderize meat are proteins (enzymes). I wasn't thinking about acids and the like.

tshewman

Honey (or any sweetener) is acidic by nature (H+) and "should" have the potential to tenderize to a degree if left long enough. Marinade in coca cola or similar and because of the sugar/acid, it will happen more quickly, but premise (in theory) would be the same.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

The theory seems to be that honey contains proteolytic enzymes at sufficient levels to tenderize meat. While honey does contain some proteases, they occur at very, very low concentrations and would not be able to tenderize meat. A study on the use of honey in marinades concluded that varying honey levels changed only the perception of honey flavor and had no impact on texture or perceived juiciness.

There are a number of other foods (e.g., papaya, pineapple, kiwi, ginger) that are naturally high in proteases and they're often included in marinades for that reason. They also contribute strong flavors of their own. If you'd like to skip the middleman and just use the straight enzyme, there are a number of powdered tenderizer products on the market that contain bromelain or papain (or a mixture of both). Enzymatic tenderization of meat -- at least tenderization via exogenous enzymes -- is easy to overdo, and can totally ruin the texture. It becomes mushy and disgusting. I avoid it.

In any event, you'd never want to do something like this to tenderloin. In addition to being tender enough already, treating it with enzymes will most likely ruin it. A better strategy would be to hold the tenderloin in a low temperature water bath for several hours and let its own enzymes tenderize the meat for you. This technique is discussed in Modernist Cuisine, and Myhrvold summarizes the technique here.

brian_martin2001

I misspoke when I said that enzymes were the only compounds that tenderize meat. That said, I'm still skeptical that honey would work as a tenderizer. I have cooked pork in cola in the past, however, due to the viscosity of the honey, and the amount of time you would need to have the meat exposed to it, I'm still not so sure it would be an effective practical tenderizer.

Jay_Sit_301369

haha. I'm happy to meet a fellow Soma fan!! I've actually tried making two of the dishes in the show. Chaliapin steak and Chou Farci. For the Chaliapin steak, I had the minced onions on overnight and it came out great. Haven't tried the honey beef roast yet.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Honey is a relatively weak acid though. If you look at the Honey Association's website, they claim that it will tenderize in marinades, but if you look more closely, their specific claim is that marinades that "include honey and vinegar" will tenderize. Well, yeah. Thanks, Honey Association.

tangma27

OMG I KNOW WHAT ANIME YOU'RE TAKLING ABOUT IT'S THE FUNNIEST THING EVER

tangma27

B.B. always helpful

tshewman

yes weak, but in theory should assist to break things down (albeit at a turtles pace if alone). i'm not certain who would use only honey, but yes, should contribute. I would tend to agree with your post above and @brian as that it wouldn't be practical, but theory is what it is. and don't call me honey. ;-)

johnnatan_433704

BEST COOKING ANIME EVER!!

Brandon_Byrd_40557

ALLCAPS ARE THE BEST THING EVER!!!!!

mike.minasian

The conspiracy of the honey association, always overpromising and underdelivering

vondes_593348

Why do anime shows have such a success with viewers of different ages, professions, and countries? This is a philosophical question because everyone finds something of their own in their favorite shows. The characters of some series become like members of our family. And yet, any TV show will make life more colorful and emotional! Every day, new anime episodes are posted on the Web.