Meat Tenderizer Dishes: Agashe, Kebab, Steak, Stews

What meat tenderizer does in a dish

Meat tenderizer powder works with enzymes that break down part of the protein in the meat's fibres and connective tissue; the best known come from papaya and pineapple. The cut becomes tender and cooks faster. It adds texture, not flavour: the taste comes from the marinade you use with it.

Dishes restaurants make with meat tenderizer

Agashe and thin slices on skewers

Agashe is thin beef slices, about half a centimetre thick, coated in ground nuts with breadcrumbs and spices such as ginger, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon and chili, then threaded on skewers and grilled over medium heat for about fifteen minutes. Put the tenderizer in a liquid marinade first (25–30 g per kg of local beef; 50 g per kg of imported beef with a liquid marinade only), then add the nut coating. The slices are thin, so keep the marinating time short.

Kebab and grilled cubes

Cubes on charcoal or a grill cook fast at high heat, so a tougher cut dries out. Tenderizer in the marinade keeps the kebab tender from shift to shift. Pierce thick pieces with a fork so the marinade reaches the centre.

Steak, escalope and roast

Imported beef takes 50 g per kg with a liquid marinade only; local beef 25–30 g per kg with the marinade. Escalope slices are thin, so the same warning applies.

Tagines and stews

Long, slow cooking already softens meat. Tenderizer helps shorten cooking time at rush hour, but any overdose shows: the meat can fall apart in the sauce.

Marinated chicken

Chicken takes 25 g per kg, useful for breast pieces grilled on skewers.

Dishes that do not need it

Minced meat (kofta, burgers, fillings): mincing has already broken the fibres.
Naturally tender cuts such as fillet.
Meat simmered for hours for soups and broths.

Mistakes to avoid

Dosing by eye: weigh the meat first.
Marinating too long: the meat turns mushy or gelatinous.
Uneven mixing: stir well.
Expecting it to remove smells: use the off-flavor neutralizer before marinating for that.

Hotels and catering

Write the dose next to each dish on the prep sheet: a 10 kg tray of local beef kebab = 250–300 g of tenderizer; 10 kg of imported beef = 500 g with a liquid marinade. Mix it into the marinade first, never sprinkle it on the pieces. Packs: 1 kg and 5 kg packs and 15 and 25 kg bags, delivered to every Egyptian governorate. Send us your restaurant type and dishes on WhatsApp for a quote.