Marinades Part II - Natural Tenderizers

This is a follow up article that I wrote for GetYourGrillOn.net.

In the first post on Marinades we established that those with high acid levels can “cook” or denaturize your meat proteins before they even reach the heat of the pit or grill. High acid marinades include those with citrus or vinegar, like italian dressing. Let’s look at some low acid options that also act as natural tenderizers.

Certain Fruits
Certain fruits like pineapple, kiwi, mango, ginger root, papaya, figs, or guava are great in marinades. They contain a natural enzyme called papian that breaks down connective bonds of the proteins without the cooking affects mentioned before. Your marinade time with one of these options can be much longer, absorbing all of that liquid and flavor. Flavors like pineapple and mango goes great with BBQ or grilled food. Pineapple adds a freshness while mango is great paired with habaneros or other hot peppers. Kiwi or figs don’t come to mind when talking about barbeque, but to each their own. Sometimes you just need to experiment and can surprise yourself.

Yogurt
Yogurt also contains enzymes that break down protein. Proteolytic enzymes are the biproduct of the bacteria used to create yogurt. These enzymes can breakdown other proteins. Yogurt is used in Tandoori dishes for this reason. Yogurt also has a PH level that is even lower than milk.

Buttermilk
One of my favorite marinades of all time for smoked or grilled chicken is buttermilk. With sage and other herbs, buttermilk chicken from the smoker or grill is fantastic. It is savory in taste, which is a nice change from the sweet or spicy that you get from most BBQ rubs and marinades.