Celery Marinades Can Seriously Amplify Meat Tenderness

Celery, for all its merits, is too often pigeonholed as a vessel for peanut butter and raisins, or as a requisite component of the mirepoix that serves as a base for so many soups, stews, and sauces. Both applications are just fine, but they fail to represent celery's true potential. We blame the children, whose little teeth may not be strong enough to bite through a stalk of the fibrous marshland vegetable, and who therefore may cast it under the dreaded file of so-called icky things they refuse to eat. 

Celery can be used in countless ways, both raw and cooked, and lends a wonderfully fresh, vegetal flavor to any dish, to say nothing of its edible leaves and stems. What's more, it can also be used as the primary agent of a stellar marinade for any kind of meat. Here's why you should use the crunchy green veggie the next time you're craving tender beef, chicken, or pork.

If you've ever eaten meat that falls off the bone, it almost certainly started its journey by soaking for a couple of hours — or even overnight — in some sort of brine or marinade. While overly acidic marinades can cause the outer layers of meat to turn mushy, a little bit of citrus, vinegar, or buttermilk can go a long way in breaking down the connective tissue, or collagen, that makes meat tough. 

Enter celery marinades — a gentler alternative to highly acidic marinades that do a great job of tenderizing meat. We found out about the method from Kerth Gumbs, the head chef of the London restaurant Fenchurch. "For juicy, tender meat, blend fresh celery and add it to your marinades," he told The Guardian. "This helps to tenderize the meat before cooking, giving you the perfect flavor." Gumbs doesn't provide any measurements, but we reckon a stalk or two should be enough to do some magic.  

There's not a whole lot of scientific research behind the meat-tenderizing properties of celery, so you'll have to place your faith in testimonials. The food blog Simply Healthy Vegan claims that celery "may help to tenderize ground beef," and may also help to keep it from drying out during the cooking process. 

This is likely thanks to the vegetable's enzymes, which may help break down meaty muscle fibers similarly to acidic ingredients. A 2013 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that celery contains apigenin, which is an enzyme that helps fight inflammation of the gut, as well as swelling, blood pressure, serum lipid, and toothaches. That same enzyme, which is also found in parsley, chamomile, and passionflower, may also work to tenderize meat. If nothing else, celery's health benefits will afford a little extra nutritional value to your otherwise carnivorous dinner.