I was watching the Next Iron Chef on the tele and one of the judges (Simon Majumdar) keeps complaining about having pork marinaded or in association with pineapple. While I understand that pineapple contains bromelain and bromelain is a powerful meat tenderizer, bromelain can be denatured by heating it before marinading the meat with it.
I wonder if the chefs used papin (from papaya), ficain (from figs), or actinadain (kiwi), would the judges complain as loudly. Conversely if they were marinading a tougher cut of meat instead of the prime grade cuts, would the judges react with such harsh words as "the meat was mushy."
I like mixing some sweet with my meats when I stir fry or make salads; grilled pineapple is very high on my favourite additions, and figs in the top five. Granted, in grilled pineapple, the bromelain has been denatured, and I don't use "tender" cuts of meat for stir fries, but I'm not a world famous food critic, or chef.
I'll continue eating tacos al pastuer, sweet and sour pineapple pork, I like the flavour, and can accept what ever minor textural change there might be....
More Later....
G
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