Quick question: I see numerous recipes calling for marinades incorporating both some form of vinegar AND baking soda. Either is a meat tenderizer, but wouldn’t using both just sort of cancel them out?
I’ve never added baking soda to a marinade - not even on game meat. You’d think I’d know that by now, but the way I usually cook game is low and snow and that seems to make it fork/butter knife tender.
How to Tenderize Meat With Baking Soda
Since baking soda won’t penetrate a steak like a marinade will, it’s best to use this technique on thinner cuts (about a half-inch thick). You can also stir the baking soda solution into ground beef before shaping burger patties or cooking for taco or sloppy Joe filling. Here’s how to do it:
Mix with water: To prepare steak, in a bowl, stir together ½ cup water and 1 teaspoon baking soda until the baking soda dissolves. You’ll need 1 teaspoon baking soda per 12 ounces of steak.
Let it soak: Add the steak to the bowl to submerge. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Rinse and pat dry: After soaking the steak, rinse well under running water. Pat dry with paper towels, then season and cook as desired.
Sprinkle and stir: To prepare ground beef, stir 1/2 teaspoon baking soda into 1 pound of ground beef. Season and cook as desired.
https://www.allrecipes.com/baking-soda-meat-tenderizer-8642255
I didn’t answer your question, but I learned a little something, today! :)