That time I used pineapple juice to tenderize a tough old steer...

I got a whole hindquarter from a local farmer last month, and man, that steer was older than I thought. The meat was tough as leather, even after aging it for two weeks in my cooler. I remembered some old forum post about using pineapple juice as a marinade for game meat, so I figured why not try it on a few test steaks. I soaked some round cuts in plain pineapple juice for about 4 hours, and when I grilled them, they came out fork-tender. The trick is not to go too long or the meat gets mushy, 4 hours was the sweet spot for me. Has anyone else used fruit enzymes on beef like this, or is it just a weird experiment I stumbled into?

2 comments

2 Comments

brianellis4d ago

Pretty sure I read somewhere that bromelain (the enzyme in pineapple) breaks down collagen faster than most other fruit enzymes, which explains why 4 hours worked but 8 hours ruined that brisket. There's a good Serious Eats article about how papain from papaya and bromelain both work, but the timing is way more finicky with pineapple since it's more aggressive. That sweet spot you found is exactly what the food science folks talk about, too short and it barely works, too long and you get meat pudding.

wyattbennett4d ago

My uncle ruined a brisket with 8 hours of papaya marinade, same deal but turned it into mush.