Using seltzer to help a marinade
I saw the host on a cooking show claim that using seltzer in a marinade will help the flavors better penetrate meat via the carbonation. Is there any truth to this, and how would it actually work? e.g. would the bubbles carry bits of flavor material, or somehow open "pores" in the meat...?
Best Answer
I would strongly doubt that the bubbles themselves would have any mechanical effect on flavor. However, seltzer or soda water has a acidic pH, usually between tomato and orange juice. This could account for any tenderizing action. The addition of salts to some seltzers might also account for apparent changes in flavor.
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Can I use seltzer as a marinade?
Soaking meat such as pork, beef and lamb in sparkling water before cooking makes the cuts softer and juicer. Add salt, pepper and your favourite spices to a large bowl of mineral water, then work it through the meat before allowing it to sit for 30 minutes. Cook the meat to your liking and enjoy.Does carbonation help marinade?
Soda can be used in marinades for steak and chicken. The high acidity of soda beverages like colas makes them a great marinade for meat. In fact, the Coke and meat experiment shows the effect that soda has on tenderizing beef, chicken and fish.Can you use sparkling water to tenderize a steak?
You will begin by pouring the sparkling water on the steaks and refrigerating them for one hour. Then you will dry the steak, and add the seasoning of your choice, and grill. The verdict is that the steak that was soaked in sparkling water is more tender. This is a great way to tenderize a cheap and tough cut of meat!Can soda water be used to tenderize meat?
Briefly soaking meat in a solution of baking soda and water raises the pH on the meat's surface, making it more difficult for the proteins to bond excessively, which keeps the meat tender and moist when it's cooked.I tried SPARKLING Water on $1 Steak and this happened!
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Answer 2
I have not seen a recipe that contains seltzer , but I would imagine that it is the same reaction that MSG has in Asian cooking, where restaurants can use cheap cuts and tenderizes the meat before cooking. Most MSG is banned in restaurants now. I myself have used coca cola in marinades in meats like ribs and pork belly as the acids does the same thing to the meat tendons as well as giving sweetness to the meat.
Answer 3
I use sparkling waters when I brine. It looks like it has a PH level of between 3 and 4 so it is acidic. I still add salt (which bubbles when added) and lemon juice for added acid.
One thing that may be a contributing factor is those bubbles. Well not the bubbles themselves but the escaping gas.
If the container being used is sealed you are increasing the pressure inside of that container which should assist in penetration.
I use ziplock bags so the aid can't be all that much but the results are always a very juicy piece of meat. Or fish as I am doing right now (a good portion of dill is sitting in there too).
Answer 4
Was in Missoula Montana at local hospital and my spouse got talking with local Native American Indian about hunting and cooking. She said after cooking wild turkey she submerged in ginger ale/ seltzer mix for 3 days and it makes meat very tender & soft......especially legs of wild turkey which there is no other way to soften. (According to her) ......she had to be at least 70yrs and had no teeth....so I image the meat did become soft as that would be the only way she could eat it.
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