Vinegar and Raw Meat

• The proteins in meat are long strands, arranged in tight coils. Tenderizers break the bonds that hold the proteins in that formation, softening the meat and allowing it to absorb additional moisture. Cooking acids, such as vinegar, citrus juice and wine, are chemical tenderizers, which cause chemical reactions that break protein bonds. With enough exposure, acids cause the loosened proteins to form tight bundles. As the fibers contract, they squeeze moisture out of the meat, making it even tougher than it was before you marinated it.

Short and to the Point

• The key to soaking a roast in vinegar without causing the meat to toughen is marinating time. Vinegar may help tenderize the roast if you soak it for no more than two hours. A marinade penetrates raw meat about 1/16 to 1/8 inch in two hours, so an acidic marinade won’t tenderize the center of the roast. Increase the surface area on the roast by pounding it with a meat mallet to reduce the thickness or pierce the flesh with a knife. It is best to use a vinegar-based marinade to impart flavor to the roast and rely on another tenderizing method to soften the meat. Pounding the roast with a mallet or pricking it with a pinner are all safer ways to tenderize the roast without toughening the surface.

Savor the Flavor

• When protein fibers uncoil and loosen, microscopic gaps form between the strands, allowing the meat to absorb more moisture. Add herbs and spices to the vinegar to season the roast, maximizing the effect the marinade has during the short time the meat soaks.

Safer Tenderizing Marinades

• The only chemical tenderizers that do not toughen raw meat after prolonged exposure are dairy products, such as milk, buttermilk or yogurt. The lactic acid in dairy products is gentler than vinegar, citrus juice or wine. Also, milk contains an enzyme that reacts with an enzyme in raw meat to break protein bonds and tenderize the fibers. You can soak roast in a milk product for longer, giving the marinade enough time to penetrate the center of the roast without toughening the surface. While it is safe to marinate raw meat up to four days in the refrigerator, 12 to 24 hours is enough.

Include Vinegar Later

• To incorporate the flavor of vinegar without compromising the texture of the roast, add it to the dish while it is cooking. Roast the meat in a vinegar-based sauce, baste the meat with a solution that contains vinegar as it cooks or include vinegar in the braising liquid if you are stewing the roast.