Jaccarding Meat: Tenderizing by Piercing

[Paul Bacino]

Avaserfi,

Reasons:

I have two steaks, one Jaccarded and one not.. I will see if this creates any different texture, yes I plan on salting/ Jaccarding and resting.

I plan on topping the two with a bit of Mater'd butter ( sp ), see if I get any different flavor profile too.

Cheers

Thanks for the chime..

Paul

[Paul Bacino]

Here is the control and experiment:

[David A. Goldfarb]

It looks nicely marbled. I don't see an advantage to Jaccarding a steak like that.

[nickrey]

It will be interesting to see if you replicate these findings.

[Paul Bacino]

Nickrey..

Very nice with the scientific data !!

First.. I designed this SS flat top to use as a multi-task ( Pizza cooking and high fat content meat ) I use it on my Summit Weber.

See here: 300 degrees flat top ..confirmed with an IR thermometer

The final cut:

The top pc of beef had been jaccarded.. let me tell you.. I would never do it again with this cut of beef!! way to mealy

[David A. Goldfarb]

I know what you mean by "mealy." I had the basic steak frites at Les Halles last week, and I know they use one of the chewier French cuts for that as would be used in an authentic Parisian bistro, but it had that texture of meat that's been Jaccarded or tenderized in some way.

[nickrey]

The top pc of beef had been jaccarded.. let me tell you.. I would never do it again with this cut of beef!! way to mealy

My cut was topside, which is something more equivalent to US round. I agree with you on the tender cuts, they are fine just as they are.

[Paul Bacino]

My last experiment didn't work so well but this excites me!!

So again.. working with the Jaccarding Tool!!

So tomorrow.. Im going to make pork tenderloins.. using center cut pork loin which I jaccarded in each direction .. with a dry rub of granulated garlic, Malabar pepper and a bit of cayenne pepper..

Tomorrow I will add a bit of salt jaccard and bread and fry.. Oh you have to love a good breaded pork tenderloin!!

More tomorrow!!

[jsmeeker]

Paul,

Could you take a picture of the jaccarding tool you are using an post it here when you provide your next update?

[Paul Bacino]

Jeff ..

Tomorrow.. I'm going to bed now.

Paul

[Paul Bacino]

Jeff..

This is one lethal tool.. BTW

I bought it from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302608284&sr=8-1

I have had the store do my pork before, but with their machine it turns it almost mushy.. so I hope this method will retain some texture for my schnitzel, I have usually just pounded it out, but I want a bit thicker one tonight. Plus injecting flavor to the interior w/o a brine.

Paul

Edited April 12, 2011 by Paul Bacino (log)

[jsmeeker]

You certainly don't want to grab that by the business end! OUCH!

I've bought meat that's been "punched" by the buther. Usually, for making chicken fried steak. But have also bought veal that's been done that way to make veal cutlets. I like your idea of using it for pork, too. Just buy thin sliced boneless pork chops and then use that device. I could do the same with steak. By thin cheap steaks and make CFS from that. Or get a round steak and slice pieces and use those.

[Paul Bacino]

Jeff,

Couple things.. yes I touched the business!! That hurt like heck!!

This was an amazing sandwich

I have done pork sandwiches

1) Pounded tenderloin

2) Pounded Shoulder

3) Pounded loins

4) Commercial Jaccarded loins

But this way has to be the best textured cutlet sandwich, I have ever made !! I did my F ( Flour )-E ( Egg )-B ( Breading ) method.. then in Corn Flakes which I pounded!! In canola oil @ 350

[OliverB]

never thought about using this to get salt or anything in, but I use my tool on leaner cuts and it works very well. I read somewhere (here? I think?) that even places like Ruth Chris run their meats through a machine that does this. I've never been at a steak house, but maybe somebody here worked there and can shine some light?

I'd not have used it on that fine cut above, but thanks for experimenting for us

One concern seems to be that you push any possible surface contamination into the meat, and if you cook it slow and to rare or med rare, you might create a heavenly edible petri dish that might make you quite sick. That has not happened to me (and I'm certainly not Mr Clean in the kitchen, or anywhere else) but it seems to make sense.

[Crouton]

If you look closely at the fat cap of steaks sold at Costco you'll see tiny holes where they've ran it through a jacarder... It's pretty common practice whether you realize it or not.

[technophile50]

I wonder if Jaccarding meat submerged in a marinade with ethanol and acid, e.g. bourbon and balsamic, or another combo appropriate to the taste one wants, would provide a microclimate in the cuts that would inhibit pathogens?

[bmdaniel]

If you look closely at the fat cap of steaks sold at Costco you'll see tiny holes where they've ran it through a jacarder... It's pretty common practice whether you realize it or not.

To this point, I am surprised that Paul found such an issue with the Jaccarded steak; to me, my "complaint" about using it on tender meat is that I don't really notice a difference.

Paul - how much did you jaccard it? I usually just do one pass over (i.e. each area of the steak only gets one press).

[Paul Bacino]

BMDaniel,

I did a cross hatch on both sides, so about three passes ,four ways to cover both sides. Possibly to much? But I think for wagyu , not the way to go.

BTW.. This breaded pork cutlet was tender and juicy, great texture to bite thru, after jaccarding.

Cheers

technophile50.. I kind like the jaccarding marinade idea.. would it inhibit Bacteria, I'm not sure ethanol, can do that, possibly a little, we can't use it as a disinfectant at the office,but now the acidity ?

Paul

[OliverB]

you might have overdone it there. I usually go across once on each side, always cutting across the fibers. For thinner cuts like flank steak I only go over once on one side.

As for the disinfecting with marinade, I doubt you can do that, the tiny amount you'd press in there would not do much at all. But your meat should be fine on the inside (hopefully!!) anyway. If really concerned, wash the outside, dry it off, if really concerned you could even brown it quickly and then jaccard it and cook it as you like, but I think that's overkill.

I'm not even sure a marinade would penetrate much, it's not like you're leaving gaping holes with that tool, just narrow slits that usually close up right away again.

[ojisan]

I prefer to beat my meat.

[bmdaniel]

you might have overdone it there. I usually go across once on each side, always cutting across the fibers. For thinner cuts like flank steak I only go over once on one side.

As for the disinfecting with marinade, I doubt you can do that, the tiny amount you'd press in there would not do much at all. But your meat should be fine on the inside (hopefully!!) anyway. If really concerned, wash the outside, dry it off, if really concerned you could even brown it quickly and then jaccard it and cook it as you like, but I think that's overkill.

I'm not even sure a marinade would penetrate much, it's not like you're leaving gaping holes with that tool, just narrow slits that usually close up right away again.

Modernist Cuisine suggests that jaccarding after applying marinade does significantly enhance marinade uptake.

[Paul Bacino]

ojisan..

" beating of the meat "

Works well, I'm sure. I just don't like the change in dimension, ie flattens the cut? For steak I would prefer to keep the thickness.

I do like that thing for making uniform thickness in cuts, and that thing looks pretty nice, usually I use to bottom of a pan or mallet.

Cheers

[nickrey]

I only do up to two passes. Suspect more will result in mush.

[Paul Bacino]

Whats the best underlying structure.. wood or plastic.

I like wood but.. impregnation could be a problem?

Paul