Why it works: Beef and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 28% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,895 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
To Make Meat Tender
Ingredients
Directions
Age the meat
Keep meat some time after killing to make it tender.
In winter, hang a large piece of beef or mutton in a dry, cool place for up to six weeks.
Every few days, rub the meat with salt and vinegar.
If the butcher does not keep the meat for you, resort to other means.
In winter, buy a supply of meat ahead and keep it until it grows tender.
Soak in vinegar or sour milk
Lay a tough piece of meat in not too strong vinegar for 3 or 4 days in summer, or twice as long in winter, adding spices as desired.
To soften a tough steak, pour a few spoonfuls of vinegar on it and let stand for 12 or 24 hours.
Use sour milk instead of vinegar, changing it daily and washing the meat at the end of the period.
Practice these methods occasionally.
For boiling, roasting or broiling, tenderize the meat using one of these methods.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Beef + vinegartop 28% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,895 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Beef
- Long hanging lets natural enzymes break down tough muscle fibres, making the meat more tender.
- Vinegar
- Its acidity gradually softens the meat's tough muscle fibres during soaking.
The step that matters
Soaking in vinegar. Vinegar that is too strong can toughen or spoil the surface of the meat and overpower its flavour, so the soak should be mild and timed to the cut and season.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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