Asian Recipes

Asian Recipes Blog

The Unrivaled Practical Guide for Asian Cooking

Sometimes when we cook steak, it is very chewy. Is the problem with the meat we bought or the method we use for cooking?

The tenderness is affected by the choice of meat. Look for flesh with a little fine marbling of fat as this dissolves in cooking and helps to tenderize the steak. Meat from animals that have been carefully reared and cuts from muscles that do not move, such as eye fillet and scotch fillet, are apt to be the most tender. It is also important that the meat should have been well hung in a cool place for about 14 days. During hanging, flavor develops and the natural enzymes in the meat break down the tough tissues, making it firmer, drier and more tender. The meat will also look much darker in color. Bright red steak is more likely to be tough.

If you buy from a good butcher, these points will be covered. But how you cook steak, and for how long, also affects its tenderness. Good quality raw steak is already tender and over-cooking it makes it tough. Always bring the steak to room temperature before you start to cook.

** Asian Online Recipes **

15:33:11 on 09/04/06 by Webmaster - Questions and Answers -

Should we beat the steak to break down the fibers?

Steak is beaten to break down the fibers a little, making the meat more tender. Nowadays, cattle are slaughtered while they are still young and tender so beating steaks is less necessary, but you can do so if you want to shorten their cooking time. Place the uncooked meat between two sheets of plastic wrap or grease-proof paper, then pound it firmly with a meat mallet, the flat of a heavy knife, or a rolling pin. A gentler technique for tenderizing steak is to marinate it for a few hours.

** Asian Online Recipes **

13:11:19 on 09/04/06 by Webmaster - Questions and Answers -

Growing bean sprouts

Sprouting beans is very easy and is a good way to have a fresh, crunchy, high-protein salad filling on hand. The sprouts can also be added to stir-fries as well as sandwiches. Soak a handful of mung beans overnight in cold water and they will double their bulk. Rinse in a sieve under the cold tap and transfer to a jar. They should fill the jar about one-quarter full.

Cover the jar with a square of loose-woven cloth held in place with an elastic band. Leave the jar on its side. Place in a warm, well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight. Twice each day, uncover the jar. Fill it with cold water, swirl, replace the cover and drain water through the cloth. The seeds should start to sprout on the second day. After a few days, the sprouts will have grown to about 1-2 cm long. which is when they are at their most nutritious.

** Asian Recipes **

09:32:37 on 09/04/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -