The Fruit That Can Tenderize Tough Meat In No Time

Whether you're cooking steak or chicken, it's a good idea to tenderize the meat, especially if you're using a cheaper cut. You want the meat to be tender and easy to chew. And a good tenderizer will break down tough fibers in the protein. Some people opt to use lemon juice or buttermilk due to their acidic nature, but if you want a tenderizer that won't overwhelm the natural flavors of the meat, you should consider kiwis. 

Don't overlook this humble fruit next time you're planning that backyard grill out or romantic steak dinner. Kiwis have a protease enzyme called actinidin, which breaks down protein fibers. In fact, if you have trouble with processing meat, researchers recommend eating kiwis. According to a 2022 study published in the journal Foods, actinidin can aid in the digestion of proteins, including meat. 

For the same reason, kiwis also make a solid meat tenderizer.

For a simple way to tenderize steak without a complex recipe, use the skin of kiwis. Simply cut open a kiwi and scoop out most of the fruit. (Feel free to eat the leftovers to avoid having it go to waste.) From there, wrap the meat with the kiwi skin. If it's a particularly large piece of meat, you may need to use several pieces of kiwi to fully encase it, or you could just rub the kiwi skin across the protein. 

Alternatively, you can blend or mash kiwis and pour them over the meat. Doing so would add more kiwi flavor to the meat than the skins alone; kiwi adds a bit of complexity to the meal. It's a well-balanced fruit with a flavor profile of a mix between sour and sweet. However, the fruit isn't as tart as citrus like lemon or orange, and it shouldn't overwhelm the dish as much as an ingredient like buttermilk would. 

If you go this route, a little kiwi goes a long way. Avoid one of the pitfalls of using kiwifruit as a tenderizer by practicing moderation to avoid making the meat too mushy.  

While just using the fruit may be quicker, the best way to use kiwi is to add it to a marinade. Marinades are great for adding flavor to a dish and can be added ahead of cooking to tenderize the meat. Given its flavor profile, kiwifruit will add fruity undertones and bring together some disparaging ingredients in the process. You can combine kiwis with soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce for a range of flavors. 

As with using kiwi to tenderize meat, a little goes a long way. Mash or blend the kiwi into a fine mixture to incorporate into the marinade. Half a kiwi will be good for several pounds of meat, especially when mixed with other ingredients. Add the marinade to chicken or beef several hours before it's time for cooking to give it a proper amount of time to marinate. However, you should avoid letting it sit for too long for the same reasons mentioned above: avoiding mushy meat. 

Whether you're using it alone or in a marinade, kiwi will make steaks or ribs both tender and flavorful.