The Unexpected Marinade That Will Majorly Upgrade Your Steak
Ah, steak. A succulent piece of joy and ecstasy that delivers an explosion of flavors in every bite. There's something unique about the optimum tenderness, taste, and juiciness of steak that no other meat can offer, something that a tender sirloin steak can provide in abundance.
Although cooking steak isn't intimidating as you only require a few ingredients and ensure it gets your desired doneness, many folks end up with bland or tough home-cooked steak. It's imperative to understand that different cuts of steak should be cooked differently. Moreover, there are several mistakes everyone makes when cooking steak, like buying the wrong piece of steak, not seasoning it enough, or not using a meat thermometer.
While there are different ways to cook the perfect steak, you most likely haven't tried one unexpected marinade to make steak incredibly tender, per PopSugar Food. Here's a hint: the ingredient is used in savory meat dishes like chicken tikka.
Marinate steak in yogurt for tenderized goodness
When it comes to cooking steak, a dash of salt and pepper and even a pat of butter are enough to ensure you don't mess up the natural juicy flavor. But once you understand the power that marinade has to accentuate the beef flavor rather than overcome or hide it, you become more open to experimentation. So why not take a page out of the books of Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines and use a yogurt marinade to make steak perfectly tender, less dry, and even juicier.
PopSugar Food recommends that you should cook steak in yogurt marinade because its acidic nature helps tenderize the meat and makes it more flavorful. Bon Appétit says yogurt-marinated meat could change your life because it "tenderizes meat much more gently and effectively than regular marinades." Yogurt doesn't toughen the proteins or give a rubbery consistency like strongly acidic marinades (acidic vinegar or lemon juice). The pH between 4.3 and 4.4 (per Livestrong) of yogurt helps soften the meat by speeding up chemical reactions to break down protein bundles (via Popular Science).
Here's how you do it. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Coat beef steak entirely with marinade and place the cut into a food-safe plastic bag (make sure to close the bag securely). Place the bag in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Remove steak from marinade and start cooking, according to Chobani.