Nutritionist's tips for delicious meat: "How to eat beef deliciously"

You can enjoy the flavor of the ingredients just by cutting and grilling meat, but there are times when you want to show off your cooking to someone, or when you have the time and want to make an elaborate dish. In those cases, you can completely change the flavor of your dish just by paying attention to a few points when cooking the meat. In this article, a registered dietitian will teach you the tips for enjoying beef to the fullest!

You can make it tender even if it's not Wagyu beef! Tenderize beef and enjoy it deliciously

Some people may have the impression that lean meat is tough and stringy, making it difficult to chew. If you overcook it or choose meat with a lot of string, it will end up being tough. First, we'll introduce you to five cooking tips for making beef taste delicious, so let's check them out.

Cut across the muscle fibers (be careful of the direction you cut the meat)

If you buy a block of meat, cut it into bite-sized pieces before cooking. The direction in which you cut the meat is key! Meat is a mass of muscle, so if you cut the knife perpendicular to the muscle fibers, the fibers will break down more easily when you bite into it.
When cutting roast beef, make sure to cut perpendicular to the grain of the meat.

Make a muscle cut

The grain of the meat is located where the lean meat and the fat meet. Make a cut with the tip of your knife perpendicular to the boundary between the lean and fatty parts.

If you cut the tendons beforehand, you won't have trouble biting through the tendons when eating, and it will also prevent the meat from shrinking as you cook it, so it's a two-for-one deal.

Marinate with fruits and vegetables

This method uses the proteolytic enzymes contained in fruits and vegetables to tenderize meat.
Fruits such as pineapple and kiwi fruit, and vegetables such as onions and ginger contain a lot of enzymes. The principle is that by finely chopping these ingredients and soaking meat in them, the protein breaks down and the meat becomes tender. Heating destroys the enzyme activity, so it's best to use raw fruits and vegetables.
Marination for 2 hours to half a day is sufficient. Be careful not to marinate the meat for too long, as it may become too soft and fall apart.

Simmer stews for at least an hour. If you don't have time, we recommend using a pressure cooker.

Meat tends to become tough if it is cooked too partially. This is due to the heat denaturing the meat's proteins. However, if the meat is heated for a long time, the hardened proteins break down and become soft. Therefore, when stewing, give yourself plenty of time and simmer for a long time. If you simmer under pressure in a pressure cooker, you can break down the proteins even in a short time, saving time.

Grill food to medium doneness and eat it while it's still warm.

If meat is cooked too long it becomes tough, and if it is not cooked enough it becomes chewy and difficult to eat.
When it comes to beef, "medium rare" means the surface is cooked but the center is still half-cooked, and "medium" means the inside is cooked through but still slightly pink, making it easy to chew and eat. Beef fat also tends to harden when it cools. If you leave the meat for a long time after cooking, the moisture will be lost and it will become dry, so it's best to cook the meat just before serving and then serve it on the table so that it tastes fresh.
Please note that pork and chicken may contain food poisoning bacteria, so be sure to cook them thoroughly before eating.