Tender meat is a wonderful thing. Steaks, roasts, broils, and briskets are tastiest when the most tender. All Camp Cooks strive for tender perfection when grilling wild game or local meats. 

Meat is muscle. The more the muscle is used, the tougher the muscle is. Tougher, older meat has longer and thicker strings of connective tissue. These strings are also covered in collagen and other organic chemicals. 

There are many factors that can make a steak tender. Thickness, age, texture, temperature, butchering, and so much more. That’s why chefs are trained and expensive. 

Meat has a mind of its own. The older the animal, the tougher the emat. Old bucks and bulls must be tough to survive. These critters take exceptional tenderizing. Other animals are tough, or tender based on how they are raised and what they eat. You can tenderize any meat. Fish, fowl, lamb, beef, chicken, and especially wild game all can loved to become tender.

Here are my suggestions on how to make a truly tasty and tender steak or meat dish.

LOW and SLOW     Cook the meat long and slow. The temperature should stay around 160-205 degrees, but 190 degrees is the sweet spot. 8-10 hours may not be too long. Smokers, Dutch ovens, and ovens can do the job. 

VELVETING YOUR MEAT     This requires you to tenderize the meat using baking soda. Add 3/4 tbsp. to your brine. A 30-40 min. soak will do the trick. The meat will turn bright red, and you will hear some fizzing. Corn starch will also work. In a pinch, I have used corn meal or corn flour. 

POUNDING     A hammer or tenderizing blade will also tenderize the meat. Pounding will break down the connective tissues. Scoring the meat with a paring knife, a few mm deep, helps. Cut a criss cross pattern against the grain, on both sides. 

SALTING/ BRINING     This 15 -30-minute process adds flavor and softens meat quickly. A dry rub is the simplest. Cover the meat with coarse salt and place in a covered glass dish or zip lock bag. A salt brine bath of 4 cups water to ¼ cup of salt will do the trick. The meat needs to be covered in brine.  will also soften the meat. Too long a soak will make the meat too salty. 

AGING     Aged meat is very tender but takes time and at consistent temperatures. Wild game needs to be hung prior to butchering. Hang the critter from the neck spine, to relax the muscles. You need a cool, consistent temperature to age the meat. If the weather is below 40 degrees to above freezing, you can hang the critter for up to 2 weeks. Now butcher the tender meat.

ENZYMES and ACIDS     Some tropical fruits are perfect for flavoring and softening meats. Kiwi, pineapple, mangos, papayas, will do the trick. I have also used wild apples, pears, and persimmons that I found near the camps. Smash a few tbsps. Into the marinate. Allow 10-30 minutes for the magic to happen. After that, the fruit turns into a rotten mess. 

LIQUIDS and JUICES    Lemon juice, wine, beer, soda pop, and vinegar are all tenderizers. Always use glass or zip lock bags for the soak. Metal will add a metal flavor to the meat. 

Yogurt, buttermilk, yellow mustard will also break down tough meat. Just keep cool so they do not begin to spoil. Commercial packets and sauces will also work but after you look at the ingredients, you will see that they contain the same spices and stuff we have discussed, along with a slough of chemicals and preservatives that are not needed. 

Here is my basic, go to, steak tenderizer process. First use tenderizing tools to add holes through the steak. This compression tool makes quick work. Next, I score the meat across the grain in a criss cross pattern. Now I soak the meat in a marinate of red wine, olive oil, and Montreal Steak seasoning. The meat is placed in a zip loc bag for soaking. Place it into a fridge or cooler for as long as you want. This can be done ahead of time and aged for a week or so. 

Cooking your meat will also make a huge difference. Temperature is key. Use the meat chart to know your tender temperature ranges. Low and slow, with a reverse sear is my secret. Cast iron fry pans and Dutch ovens work great. 

The final presentation of your tender meat will only add more love. Serving the meat on a plank is fun and makes perfect firewood, with no washing dishes. Toppings like mushrooms, onions, blue cheese, butter, or sauces add flavor and look tastier. 

Cooks are most loved for their tender meat made with loving care!

Montana Grant