been used since Renaissance times, when their primary function was to slow spoilage and to provide flavor Today, meats are marinated primarily to flavor them and to make them more moist and tender Perhaps the most common marinated meat dish is a stew, for which the meat is immersed in a mixture of wine and herbs and then cooked in it The acid in marinades does weaken muscle tissue and increase its ability to retain moisture But marinades penetrate slowly, and can give the meat surface an overly sour flavor while they do so The penetration time can be reduced by cutting meat into thin pieces or by using a cooking syringe to inject the marinade into larger pieces Meat Tenderizers Meat tenderizers are protein-digesting enzymes extracted from a number of plants, including papaya, pineapple, fig, kiwi, and ginger They are available either in the original fruit or leaf, or purified and powdered for the shaker, diluted in salt and sugar (Despite lore to the contrary, wine corks do not contain active enzymes and don’t tenderize octopus or other tough meats!) The enzymes act slowly at refrigerator or room temperature, and some five times faster between 140 and 160ºF/60–70ºC, so nearly all the tenderizing action takes place during cooking The problem with tenderizers is that they penetrate into meat even more slowly than acids, a few millimeters per day, so that the meat surface tends to accumulate too much and get overly mealy, while the interior remains unaffected The distribution can be improved by injecting the tenderizer into the meat Brining The tendency of modern meats to dry out led cooks to rediscover light brining, a traditional method in Scandinavia and elsewhere The meats, typically poultry or pork, are immersed in a brine containing 3 to ...purified and powdered for the shaker, diluted in salt and sugar (Despite lore to the contrary, wine corks do not contain active enzymes and don’t tenderize octopus or other tough meats!) The enzymes... than acids, a few millimeters per day, so that the meat surface tends to accumulate too much and get overly mealy, while the interior remains unaffected The distribution can be improved by injecting the tenderizer into the meat Brining The tendency of modern meats to dry... room temperature, and some five times faster between 140 and 160ºF/60–70ºC, so nearly all the tenderizing action takes place during cooking The problem with tenderizers is that they penetrate into