# What's the best way to tenderize pork butt before cooking?



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

What's the best way to tenderize pork butt before cooking?

Stab it with a meat tenderizer?  Any particular marinade?

TIA


----------



## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Cook it low and slow. It will be tender when cooked long enough.


----------



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Is it possible to achieve a similar level of tenderness with out cooking it low and slow?


----------



## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

abefroman said:


> Is it possible to achieve a similar level of tenderness with out cooking it low and slow?


There 're mechanical tenderizers (by multiple piercings) but they are not used in this kinda cut. Low and slow cooking will break muscle fibers and conective tissues in a way no tenderizers achieve.

Marinates act just on the surface of the meat.


----------



## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

abefroman said:


> Is it possible to achieve a similar level of tenderness with out cooking it low and slow?


As opposed to high and fast? High temp will dry out the meat, even in liquid. You want the collagen to break down s l o w l y.

See here.

Or here.

And for a great looking piece of pork and recipe, here.


----------



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Will acid break down collagen?


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

not in any strength that is still called food.


----------



## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

abefroman said:


> Will acid break down collagen?


Like in Breaking bad?


----------



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

@abefroman what are you trying to make? You're better off with loin chops.

This will not work with the cut you have. Unless you slice it thin, pound it, braise it for an hour.


----------



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Yeah what are you trying to do exactly? I often grill pork butt high and fast, using one of two methods:

1) I completely remove all fat from the meat, then cut the meat in 1/2" cubes, dry rub, skewer, and grill over high heat for a few minutes. 

2) I start with rather thin slices of pork butt, marinate in olive oil, lemon, garlic and herbes de provence then grill over high heat for a few minutes.


----------



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

> 2) I start with rather thin slices of pork butt, marinate in olive oil, lemon, garlic and herbes de provence then grill over high heat for a few minutes.


Thanks, I'm doing something similar to #2, except for the marinade I did, beer, orange juice, garlic, Mexican oregano and onion. (not sure if the beer was a good idea). And I stabbed each piece about 50 times with a tenderizer.


----------



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Sounds good except the stabbing with a tenderizer (IMO). I don't like the pre-chewed texture you get.


----------



## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

French Fries said:


> Sounds good except the stabbing with a tenderizer (IMO). I don't like the pre-chewed texture you get.


I used one recently on chicken breast. Not 50 times though! Maybe 10. Possibly it's different because the strands in chicken breast run much longer than many meats but it was the best grilled chicken breast I've made to date. I also butterflied them so they would cook evenly without drying out so I am sure that helped.


----------



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

What do those stabbing tenderizers do anyway? Should I buy one?


----------



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Koukouvagia said:


> What do those stabbing tenderizers do anyway? Should I buy one?


It breaks down the meat to make it not as chewy and it also allows the marinade to penetrate into the meat.


----------



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Koukouvagia said:


> What do those stabbing tenderizers do anyway? Should I buy one?


It's basically a bunch of little knives that start cutting the meat for you. The more you do it the more you meat starts feeling like ground meat. Personally I don't like what they do to the texture of meat and I wouldn't recommend them.

Before you buy one, next time you go to your butcher, ask him to tenderize something for you and see how you like it?


----------



## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Edit: I can understand one not liking the texture. To me though, it's the same concept as cutting against the grain. They aren't really designed to puree your meat. If you're getting a texture of pre-chewed food I'd say you're either over doing it or using it on a meat that probably didn't need it to start with. Chef Masaharu Morimoto uses them often on Iron Chef for tougher cuts of meat. That's why I tried it in the first place.


----------



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

eastshores said:


> it's the same concept as cutting against the grain.


What's actually happening is more like taking a knife and stabbing your meat 50 times with it.


----------



## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Look up Bulgogi. It is a quick cooked, thinly sliced, marinated, Korean, pork butt dish.


----------



## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

French Fries said:


> What's actually happening is more like taking a knife and stabbing your meat 50 times with it.


Who doesn't do that? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


----------



## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I've only done bulgogi beef, pork could be tasty as well.

mjb.


----------



## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

cheflayne said:


> Look up Bulgogi. It is a quick cooked, thinly sliced, marinated, Korean, pork butt dish.


Makes killer tacos! Kimchi slaw, bean sprouts, sweet spicy salsa.


----------



## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

chefbuba said:


> Makes killer tacos! Kimchi slaw, bean sprouts, sweet spicy salsa.


Now you are talking!!!


----------



## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=meat+tenderizer+images

Anyway, tenderizing meat is intended to soften the meat so it's easy to chew, yes? If you poke it with needles all you are doing is cutting up the fibers. May as well just use ground pork?

Even if you cut thin and cook at high heat, you're still getting a chewy piece of meat - especially if you are using pork butt. It's not meant for high and fast cooking. Well. Unless of course you like it that way.


----------



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

jake t buds said:


> Even if you cut thin and cook at high heat, you're still getting a chewy piece of meat - especially if you are using pork butt. It's not meant for high and fast cooking. Well. Unless of course you like it that way.


Have you tried it before? Honestly it's not that chewy at all. Might not be the tenderest piece of meat, but it's not Kalbi either, and I love Kalbi.

As for the skewer preparation, it's not any chewier than with any other cut of pork.


----------



## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Low and slow... or be prepared to chew.


----------



## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Abe  why do you do it and then ask? You have been doing this for years.


----------



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

It's not uncommon, souvlaki is traditionally made from pork butt but it does marinate overnight.


----------



## wartface (Feb 19, 2015)

Don't use blade tenderizers and beware of meat that has been mechanically tenderized
Some meat suppliers try to tenderize beef by using a device called a blade tenderizer. It is a series of thin sharp blades or needles that stab the meat and cut through tough fibers and connective tissues, sometimes called a jaccard. Commercial versions are motorized and much larger. They work, but they are also high risk.

Beef pathogens, like dangerous strains of E-coli, are common on the surface of meat, but they are killed almost instantly when cooked. But if the meat has been blade tenderized, these bugs can be pushed down into the center of the meat which often is not cooked enough to kill them.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2003 and 2009, blade tenderized beef caused 174 illnesses that we know of, and one person died. It is estimated that for every case reported, there may be 20 or more cases unreported.

You cannot tell by looking at meat if it has been mechanically tenderized so a USDA rule requiring labeling of blade or needle tenderized meat is trying to get on the books but is being held up by the bureaucracy.

Incidentally, meat labeled organic is allowed to be blade tenderized.


----------



## mckallidon (Feb 14, 2015)

cheflayne said:


> Look up Bulgogi. It is a quick cooked, thinly sliced, marinated, Korean, pork butt dish.


Chef Layne FTW again. Looking that up and seeing if any of the Korean joints in town do it. Thanks bro!


Koukouvagia said:


> It's not uncommon, souvlaki is traditionally made from pork butt but it does marinate overnight.


Does anyone do pork souvlaki in NYC? No one does it in Rochester. I've always wanted to try it.


abefroman said:


> What's the best way to tenderize pork butt before cooking?
> 
> Stab it with a meat tenderizer? Any particular marinade?
> 
> TIA


Be lazy and just cook low and slow instead of messing with that other stuff. The better Mexican food is usually the laziest IMO. I wouldn't worry about a marinade if you just add seasoning to it. What is the dish though? I've just thrown it into a pot with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, lime juice, and spices and very low, very slow, with fantastic results. You won't need marinade for flavor if it breaks down and cooks in your flavors for a while.


----------

