Food - Drink
The Ingredient That Will Change The Way You Cook Meat Forever
By LAUREN ROTHMAN
One of the most common strategies used in cooking meat is marinating it beforehand, and depending on the composition of the marinade, it can help tenderize meat as well as imbue it with flavor. While different cooks use different marinade ingredients, there's one meat marinade ingredient that just might surprise you — mayonnaise.
Smearing meat with mayo before cooking is a trend that started to percolate across the internet a few years ago, and it's a trick that improves the Maillard reaction responsible for that nice, seared crust on the meat. The protein and fat in mayonnaise brown quickly, rapidly achieving a crust before thinner cuts of meat overcook in the center.
Since mayo is mostly fat, it helps push the fat-soluble flavor compounds of the aromatics into the meat, imbuing it with robust flavor before cooking. Season the meat with salt and pepper, combining your preferred sauce or marinade with a spoonful of mayonnaise, and rub the mixture over the meat before letting it marinate.