Food - Drink
Can You Marinate Your Steak In Just Hot Sauce?
By HEATHER LIM
Classic steak marinades include an element that softens the meat and a spice or herb that elevates its flavor. Sometimes, there are magical condiments and ingredients that contain both components, thus softening and flavoring the meat simultaneously; this is where hot sauce comes in.
Marinating your steak in hot sauce is a great choice because hot sauces are made up of three key ingredients: vinegar, salt, and pepper. Vinegar, which is incredibly acidic, acts as a preservative for the perishable ingredients in hot sauce and the acidity will break down the meat's fibers.
Furthermore, hot sauce contains salt, which flavors and tenderizes the meat. Kitchen Savvy notes that a saltwater brine triggers osmosis to bring salt and water into the muscle fibers and this eliminates fibers that constrict while cooking and draws moisture into the beef.