For some people, cooking a meal is usually a race against the clock to get dinner on the table. And for food items like meat, tenderizing it within a short period of time, so as to make it easier to chew and digest, is always the goal.
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However, in a bid to achieve this, some people resort to using substances that, unknown to them may be doing more harm than good.
According to the National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), here are two substances used in boiling meat that should be avoided by all means necessary.
1. Paracetamol
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Paracetamol has been in general use for many years as a common painkiller used to treat headaches, earache, and cold symptoms. It may also be used, in combination with other drugs, to bring down a high temperature (fever).
However, the medication is being used by some Nigerians to cook food for household and commercial consumption, according to research. The idea aims to tenderize or soften food such as meat and beans faster, thereby reducing the cooking duration and saving on firewood, gas, or kerosene.
In a publication by NAFDAC, paracetamol is a chemical that changes when the temperature is high. It changes from paracetamol (acetaminophen) to paraminophino and to benzoquin, products of which can cause liver and kidney failure.
2. Potash
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Potash, known as kaun (Yoruba), akanwu (Igbo) or kanwa (Hausa), is the general name given to various inorganic compounds that contain potassium in a water-soluble form.
It is, according to NAFDAC, another substance widely used in Nigeria, and is added to soups, beans, meat and sauces usually:
*To increase viscosity in soups like Okra and Jute (ewedu),
*As a softening agent for tough cuts of meat, cow leg or skin (ponmo), and beans.
According to them, studies have indicated that the high level of potash in foods and drinking water could be detrimental to human health.
Excessive consumption of this earthy material may lead to its accumulation that could cause severe and irreparable damage to the kidney and disrupt normal body functions, which may eventually lead to death.
So, What Can You Do To Make Tough Meat Tender?
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Without using the substances mentioned above, you can tenderize meat by:
1. Cooking with a pressure cooker. The pressure will in fact make your meat super tender, almost as if you slow cooked it for the better part of a day.
2. Salting, which involves soaking the meat in a salt-water solution, typically for about 30 minutes, before cooking.
3. Slicing the meat into smaller pieces, which will help to sever muscle fibres and thereby hasten softening while cooking.
4. Cooking under slow heat to allow the fat and connective tissue in the meat to melt without losing much moisture.
5. Marinating (soaking) with acid in the form of vinegar, citrus juices or wine before cooking.
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