The most common cooking tip that I get asked for, especially by friends in the gym, is “What’s the best way to cook a steak?” The technique junky in me wants to jump right in and start talking about climate, origin of meat, amino acid loss from freezing and thawing, equipment, or a host of other factors that affect the outcome of your dinner. Going into depth, I look up to see a glazed over look similar to those dunkin’ donuts that I miss so much. The realization that I’ve come to is that most people want to know that secret trick or ingredient from the yak skin bag under your apron that you may have pick up from an ancient shaman in the hills of Uzbekistan, or from that really famous chef that you worked with who gives tips to stars like Jerry Springer and Joey Butafuco.
There is no cure all, secret ingredient that will make your meat tender, taste good, and keep it from overcooking. If there is a secret ingredient that a lot of restaurants use, its meat tenderizer. Stated on the package as: “Meat Tenderizer is a blend of ingredients specifically designed to enhance flavor and tenderize meats. Sprinkle on pork, lamb, or steak and bring out the taste!” Sounds really suspicious honestly. The most common list of ingredients of “over the counter”(this stuff should be controlled) meat tenderizer include: salt, dextrose, MSG, papain and calcium silicate. Doesn’t sound like your mother’s secret spice blend.
Salt: fair enough; the right amount of salt helps break down proteins and cartilage as well as amino acids which allow you to taste the meat. MSG: I’ll leave that one for you to ponder. Papain: derived from papaya and sometimes kiwi or figs, it is an enzyme that breaks down protein. Papain is sometimes prescribed to people with post traumatic stress syndrome after being in accidents or patients that are HIV positive to aid digestion. It can cause skin and stomach irritations. Calcium silicate: a white powder derived from limestone, it is used as an antacid, anti caking agent and many more diverse uses such as insulation, bricks, cement, roof tiles and sometimes certain brands of table salt.
Until a few years ago, I always thought that there wasn’t such a thing as meat tenderizer. More of a myth of sorts to be bought at that hard to find “mom and pop” corner store right along side the “elbow grease” which can be used to clean just about anything.
Max Levy, a New Orleans native, learned to make gumbo from his grandfather. Levy first talked his way into a kitchen at age 12 and has never left. While earning his BA in Colorado he worked at the esteemed Village in Breckenridge and later gained his first sushi bar experience.
Strange events landed Levy in Tokyo as a tuna handler and thus began his bond to Asia. As a wayward adventurer and hungry traveler, Levy’s odd encounters guided him in Japan where he worked on an eel farm and learned to make salt. Levy broke into New York’s Japanese chef conglomerate training at the sushi counters of Jewel Bako, Bond St, and worked his way up to rank at Megu. Levy’s bravura gained him merit as the only non-Japanese sushi chef at the venerable Sushi Yasuda. Looking for a new challenge at The Tasting Room, Levy changed the seasonal menu daily using locally and ethically foraged produce. Since 2008, Levy’s held the bar high at Bei, creating a diverse menu with North Asian flavors. And in 2009, he opened Apothecary to unprecedented success.
Max Levy
Chef de Cuisine :
BEI at the Opposite House, Beijing
bei
no.11 sanlitun road
beijing china 100027
www.beirestaurant.com
www.housevibe.cn/bei
Proprietor:
Apothecary
cocktails and dining
www.apothecarybj.com
+86 10 5208 6040
Nali Patio 3/F #D302, 81 Sanlitun Beilu,
Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100027
北京市朝阳区三里屯北路81号，
那里花园三层D302室 邮编100027
