Tenderizing center round prior to making jerky?

[Barefootdog]

Going to be making my first batch of jerky.
As usual I am overthinking things.

Planning to use Center Round (8-9#).
Marinade will be Korean BBQ made in-house at local asian market. Very good stuff.
Will add red pepper flakes....
Will smoke/dry in Pit Boss Brunswick vertical smoker at 180* or 190*.
Pellets will be 50% Knotty Wood 100% Plum and 50% Cookin Pellets 100% Wild Cherry.

So here's the question...
Was going to tenderize the sliced meat with baking soda for 30-45 minutes prior to marinading.
The technique is used in Chinese restaurants for some of their beef dishes.

I don't see any downside to this.

Anyone tenderize their beef prior to jerking?

Best...RG

 

[TNJAKE]

I'd skip the baking soda........a teaspoon has 1259mg of sodium

 

[Barefootdog]

Baking soda will be rinsed off and beef patted dry prior to putting into marinade. The Korean BBQ marinade is minimally salty. Much less salty than soy sauce.

Broccoli Beef at Chinese restaurants is not salty and the meat is marinated with backing soda.

But good to think about.

 

[TNJAKE]

Baking soda will be rinsed off and beef patted dry prior to putting into marinade. The Korean BBQ marinade is minimally salty. Much less salty than soy sauce.

Broccoli Beef at Chinese restaurants is not salty and the meat is marinated with backing soda.

But good to think about.

Every recipe I've ever seen for beef broccoli calls for corn starch. I'm also pretty sure you are confusing baking powder for baking soda. They are 2 total different things.

 

[Barefootdog]

I agree about thickeners. Corn starch, potato starch, arrowroot and other thickeners are often used. The French use butter, eggs and flour.

But this is what I was talking about.

Thinking it might be easier on my old teeth.

https://www.recipetineats.com/how-to-tenderise-beef-velveting-beef/

 

[mike243]

Ground is easier on teeth lol

 

[zwiller]

YOU'RE STEALING MY THREAD! LOL https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/jerky-tips-for-more-pro-type-results.314650/#post-2322939

I have use that technique before and it works well on shrimp but never tried beef. I don't think it's actually a tenderizing action but like a brine. As pointed out rinsed or not your adding sodium so be advised. Might be too salty or interfere with your marinade. I plan to jaccard my next run. I slice with the grain so I plan to jaccard well against it. Will try to remember and report back.

 

[Barefootdog]

Oh no!...I'm new here and the first thing I do is get in trouble. Didn't mean to step on your thread. LOL.

I do have a hand held jaccard type tenderizer...I'll split the batch. Half with the baking soda and half with the jaccard.

This will be good. Korean BBQ marinade with red pepper flakes is going to be great.

 

[zwiller]

Splitting the batch is PERFECT! Let us know how it goes. I really like the korean BBQ idea and will probably steal that.

 

[Steve H]

Never bothered tenderizing meat for jerky. But you can jaccard it. The important step to having jerky manageable on the teeth is how you cut the meat for jerky. Against the grain.

 

[Barefootdog]

I wound up using the jaccard unit on it. I'll worry about the baking soda next time.

5.5# EOR sliced to 3/16, marinate 2.5 hours. Added red pepper flakes to most of it.

50/50 100% plum and BM hickory @190*. 5 hours or less should do it....

Smoke and product smells real good.

 

[Steve H]

Did you use cure?

 

[Barefootdog]

No cure.
I'll keep most of it in the frig.
I do have the pink salt from other projects. Maybe next time.

Turned out pretty good.

 

[boykjo]

Nice..........

 

[sjep]

Baking soda will be rinsed off and beef patted dry prior to putting into marinade. The Korean BBQ marinade is minimally salty. Much less salty than soy sauce.

Broccoli Beef at Chinese restaurants is not salty and the meat is marinated with backing soda.

But good to think about.

yes, its called "velveting" and is widely used in oriental cuisine restaurants. I think great idea to rinse the baking soda off, and rinse well, before putting in marinade. Ive made lots of jerky, do you think the cut of beef you have is going to be particularly tough? and is that why you want to do the baking soda first? Ive found in the past that just the marinade tended to be enough, but Ive only used sirloin etc in the past. not the cut you are using. Until beef prices get realistic again I wont be doing jerky etc for a long time.. Good Luck with you Jerky!

 

[sandyut]

I have never tenderized. I do @disco OFG Jerky Somewhere in that thread is an excel I made to calculate the amounts based on the number of pounds.

• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/5 teaspoon (0.048 oz) Prague powder #1

Above is per pound.