| How to Tenderize Meat with Beer Posted: 01 Jun 2020 01:00 AM PDT Cooking with beer, wine, and liquors can offer you a whole range of flavor possibilities otherwise inaccessible. Beers and wines can add rich, caramel-like flavors or lively, floral notes, all with relatively minimal cooking time. They can also accentuate alcohol-soluble flavor compounds in foods like tomatoes. One of the most effective ways to cook with beer, however, is to use it as a tenderizing marinade. Beer contains enzymes that help break down tough fibers in meat, making it more tender and flavorful at the same time. The guide below outlines the steps in learning how to tenderize meat with beer. - Choose a beer to use as the marinade. All beers contain potentially tenderizing enzymes,[1] but the style of beer you select will have a dramatic impact on your food's flavor.
- Very light beers, such as pilsner, light lagers, and some pale ales, tend to add very little flavor to foods. Very intense beers, like porter and stout, tend to add an unpleasant bitter, smoky, or burnt taste to your dish.
- Instead, aim for a beer with a "middle-of-the-road" flavor profile, both in terms of hops and malt. Amber ales, nut browns, and extra special bitters (ESBs) are great choices for marinating and cooking foods.
- Construct your meat marinade. Of course, you can simply soak the meat in beer alone to tenderize it.[2] However, to further boost the flavor of your meat you can choose herbs, spices, and other flavorings to add to the beer marinade. Soy sauce and ginger could be added to an Asian-style marinade, for example.[3] Fresh or dried rosemary, thyme, basil, and oregano could be added to an Italian-style dish.
- Place the meat and the beer marinade into a plastic bag.[4] Zip-top plastic bags are ideal for marinading meat, because they allow you to push unnecessary air out and minimize the amount of marinade needed to contact the meat.
- Begin by seasoning your meat with salt and black pepper, and then add it to the plastic bag. Pour your beer marinade carefully into the bag and over the meat.
- Zip the plastic bag closed, pushing as much air out as possible before sealing it. Swish the bag around a bit to ensure that the beer marinade is contacting the meat across its entire surface area.
- Allow the beer to tenderize the meat. You will notice some improvement in the meat's tenderness after only 15 minutes. If you have more time to prepare your dish, however, let the marinade soak for at least an hour.[5] You can also allow the meat to marinate overnight, but be aware that very long marinade times tend to lend an unappealing gray color to the meat.
- Cook the meat as desired.[6] After marinating your meat in beer, you can cook it using any preparation. If using a braise or stew method, consider pouring the entire contents of your plastic bag into the cooking liquid.[7] If sautéing or frying the meat, you may want to pat it dry before cooking to remove excess moisture.[8] Adding moist meat to hot oil can cause dangerous and messy splatters.
- Light beers also make a light and airy batter for frying fish and poultry. Full-flavored beers like stout can be used in baking, where they pair especially well with chocolate or coffee.
- Marinating meat in beer or wine is especially useful for grilling, because the beer or wine can reduce the amount of carcinogens formed during cooking.[9]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Beer
- Herbs and spices
- Meat
- Plastic bag
[Edit]References ↑ https://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/9-ways-make-cheap-steak-tender-and-delicious-slideshow/slide-2 ↑ https://draftmag.com/how-to-brine-meat-with-beer/ ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marcela-valladolid/beer-marinated-grilled-skirt-steak-recipe-2104699 ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pan-grilled-beer-marinated-hanger-steak-236873 ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/grilled-beer-steak-109167 ↑ https://lifehacker.com/the-five-basic-rules-for-cooking-meat-1655470140 ↑ https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/how-to-braise ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/cooking/tips/g1957/simply-saute-meats/?slide=5 ↑ https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2014/acs-presspac-march-26-2014/beer-marinade-could-reduce-levels-of-potentially-harmful-substances-in-grilled-meats.html |
| How to Body Surf Posted: 31 May 2020 05:00 PM PDT If you love the ocean and dream of riding big waves onto the shore, body surfing may be a great hobby for you. While some body surfers may use a bodyboard, you really don't need anything other than yourself and the ocean for this sport. Many people learn to body surf before moving on to using a surfboard, as it helps them become more familiar with the ebb and flow of the ocean, but there's a huge community of body surfers who are committed to catching waves sans board for life. [Edit]Choosing Gear - Shop for a wetsuit to keep you warmer for longer while body surfing. While the outside temperature is important, what's more important to your safety is the water temperature. Depending on the conditions, you can choose between short sleeves and legs, three-quarter length sleeves and legs, and full-length suits.[1]
- Having a wetsuit enables you to continue your body surfing hobby into the colder fall and winter months, too.
- Wetsuits can also provide some extra buoyancy, helping to make your body surfing experience as safe as possible.
- Pick a snug-fitting bathing suit if you aren't wearing a wetsuit. Not only can a loose-fitting swimsuit be annoying and potentially embarrassing, but it can also be dangerous if it causes you to lose focus on surfing a wave safely! Clothes with minimal drag, like brief-cut swimming trunks, will cut down on the resistance your body has in the water. The less resistance, the faster you'll cut through the water.[2]
- If you wear a bathing suit with ties, make sure they're double-knotted so they won't come undone in the water.
- Consider adding a pair of swim fins to help you catch the wave. Just because you're riding the waves with your body doesn't mean you have to navigate the water without any assistance. Get fins that strap to your feet to help you cut through the water faster and ride waves more efficiently.[3]
- Take your time and find the right fit. Try on different pairs by different brands to find a pair that isn't too big or too tight. Try thinking of them as a natural appendage—they should help you swim more fluidly rather than hinder you.
- Use a bodyboard if you want to learn to body surf with some assistance. A bodyboard can help you feel more secure in the water by giving you some extra buoyancy while also guiding you through the water with faster, sleeker movements. They're great for beginners, amateurs, and kids, but professional bodyboarders use them, too.[4]
- A bodyboard is made of hydrodynamic foam and comes in various lengths depending on your height. To test that yours is the right length, hold it out in front of you—it should stretch from your knees to your chin.
- If you do choose to use a board, you may also want to invest in a leash or cord to keep your board from floating too far away if you lose hold of it.
[Edit]Catching a Wave - Walk out deep enough into the ocean that you're past the breaking point. To catch a good wave, you need to get on it when it starts to swell and ride it through until it breaks. The water should be between your waist and chest so that you can help launch yourself onto the wave by pushing off with your feet.[5]
- If you have fins, they can help you catch waves if you're deeper out.
- Face the beach and start swimming while the wave is still away. Let waves pass by until you see one that you feel comfortable surfing. Once you see it, turn toward the beach, push off the ocean floor with your feet, and start front crawling and kicking to build up speed.[6]
- If you're using a bodyboard, you'll position it under your chest at this point while paddling forward.
- Straighten your arms and your body as the wave crests. When you feel the wave beneath you, stop kicking your feet. Point one or both of your arms forward and straighten your torso and legs so your entire body is in line. As the wave carries you, straighten your body in a horizontal line and keep your head and shoulders out of the water in front of the wave. Let your legs tilt up so your body is at a slant—this position will help your body propel forward.[7]
- Try to keep your head and shoulders lower than your legs to get a faster forward momentum.
- Ride into shore with both of your arms stretched out in front of you. If you're a beginner, this is a really good way to get a feel for how to move your body, what the wave feels like, and how to point yourself toward the beach. Do your best to keep your arms straight out in front of you so you can ride the wave for as long as possible.[8]
- Remember, it's totally okay if it takes a while for you to successfully body surf. It's a hard sport that requires a lot of endurance and practice.
- Aim your body more efficiently by putting one arm out behind you. Once you know a little bit more about the technique behind body surfing, you can try steering your body and hopefully getting a little more speed in each ride. Keep one arm out in front of you to help guide your body, and put the other arm behind you in the water. Use it as a kind of rudder by moving it back and forth to change your direction so your body stays in line with the cresting of the wave.[9]
- Always keep one hand in front of you—it can help protect your head if you head toward rocky land or get pushed underwater toward the seabed.
- Exit the wave by pushing a shoulder back through the wave. Anytime you want to leave the wave, whether you're feeling uncomfortable or see something you want to avoid, try pushing one of your shoulders backward to cut through the wave. This should bring you out the other side without forcing water up your nose.[10]
- Remember, you will only get better with practice! It may be hard at the beginning, but everyone, even the experts, had to start somewhere.
[Edit]Staying Safe - Make sure you're in good shape and know how to swim well. Body surfing requires a lot of physical endurance. Exercise your arms, shoulders, and legs to build up those important muscles, and do regular cardio activities to get your body used to longer bouts of movement.[11]
- If you don't know how to swim, you need to learn before trying to body surf.
- Swim as much as you can and add squats, push-ups, and planks to your workout regimen.
- Not only will being in good shape help you enjoy body surfing more, but it will also help keep you safe while you're in the water.
- Learn how to breathe while you swim to reserve your energy. If you're getting out of breath or worried about breathing while coasting on a wave, you'll have less energy for the task at hand. Go swimming a few times before body surfing and practice exhaling while your head is underwater and inhaling through your mouth when your head is above water.[12]
- Breathing well while surfing will give your body extra energy.
- Choose a sandy, well-populated beach with gentler waves. If you're a beginner, choose a beach with waves that are less than high, and look for a location with a gentle slope. If a beach is deserted, take that as a warning that there is something dangerous about the conditions or landscape.[13]
- Ask other surfers or look on surfing forums to get a feel for the normal wave break at various beaches in your area.
- Read surf reports and pick a safe time to head out in the water. These reports, which are easily found online, can tell you vital information, such as wave heights and weather forecasts. You may also want to learn about rip tides and how to escape if you get caught in one.[14]
- Picking the right time to body surf can make a huge difference in how enjoyable your experience will be. Don't rush if the weather forecast is bad; always put your safety first.
- Avoid big waves while you're just learning how to body surf. Keep in mind that whatever you see from a standing position will look twice as tall once you're swimming forward. Stick to waves that are between . Also, steer clear of waves that crash close to the shore—these could throw you against the seabed and potentially hurt you.[15]
- Before you get in the water, study the waves for a little while before walking in. Even once you've entered the ocean, stand still for a few minutes until the right wave comes along. There's no rush!
- Study the conditions of the ocean before heading out into the water. If there is increased shark activity at a certain beach, you'll want to know about it in advance. Likewise, if a storm has brought in new hazardous wood or rocks, that could make for a dangerous situation.[16]
- If you're unsure whether it's safe to surf and the surf reports aren't up to date, call the lifeguard association in your area. They'll know which beaches are currently hazardous and may be able to recommend a safer alternative.
- Ask for advice from other body surfing enthusiasts. There's a huge community of people you can connect with to gets tips and pointers.
- Body surfing burns nearly 200 calories an hour, making it a great way to exercise and get some endorphins pumping through your body.[17]
[Edit]Warnings - Always put safety first. If a wave is too big, don't try to ride it. If you aren't dressed for the water temperature, don't risk surfing without a wetsuit.
- Don't body surf if sharks have been spotted in that area.[18]
- Never surf alone. If a beach is deserted, it might be empty for a reason. Always bring a friend, and never surf at an unpopulated beach.[19]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Wetsuit or bathing suit
- Swim fins (optional)
- Bodyboard (optional)
[Edit]References |
| How to Test Biodegradability of Plastic Posted: 31 May 2020 09:00 AM PDT Plastic is one of the leading materials that fill up landfills. It takes hundreds of years to decompose, which is why our Earth is covered in it. Biodegradable plastics that are made of cornstarch or plant pulp can degrade much faster than normal ones. Materials like this are usually tested in a laboratory setting with industrial composting tools. If you have a product that says "biodegradable" or "compostable" on it and you'd like to see if that's true, make some compost and place your plastic in it, wait 12 weeks, and examine your test material to see if it has broken down at all. [Edit]Gathering Compostable Scraps and Materials - Cut your test product into three squares. Find the plastic that you'd like to test for biodegradability and use sharp scissors to cut it into squares. Make sure they are all roughly the same size and mostly even on each side.[1]
- Make sure the plastic you want to test says "biodegradable" or "compostable" on it. Otherwise, it probably won't biodegrade at all.
- Plastics made of cornstarch or plant pulp are usually biodegradable. Traditional plastics are not.
- Cut 3 to 4 pieces of yarn 2 times the height of your compost bin. Grab the compost bin that you are going to use for your experiment and measure out 1 piece of yarn for each of your test squares. Make sure the yarn pieces are about twice the height of the compost bin so that they can hang outside of it during your experiment.[2]
- If you don't have yarn, you can use twine instead.
- Tie each piece of yarn to each square of your test product. Cut a slit or a small hole in each of your test squares using scissors. Thread a piece of yarn through the slit and make a knot in 1 end on each test square. Make sure your knots are secure and that they won't slip out during your experiment.[3]
- Drill 12 holes in the bottom of your compost bin. Flip your compost bin over and use a drill bit to make 12 evenly spaced holes in the bottom of it. Make sure the holes don't touch each other. If your bin is not big enough for 12 holes, just drill as many as you can.[4]
- The holes provide air flow that is needed for the compost to decompose later on.
- Collect half a bucket of brown scraps, like leaves or dry hedge clippings. Brown scraps are part of the compost that help to break down because they are rich in carbon. Newspaper, dry leaves, dry yard debris, untreated cardboard, and coffee filters are all great materials to use as brown scraps.[5]
- Do not use magazines or glossy printed paper, as the chemicals can affect the outcome of your compost.
- Collect half a bucket of green scraps, like fruits and vegetables. Green scraps are wet and rich with nitrogen, so they also aid in the degradation process. Dead plants, weeds, tea bags, coffee grounds, and algae are all good materials to use as green scraps.[6]
[Edit]Making Compost - Balance your compost bin on 2 pieces of wood. Put your compost bin in an area outside where it is protected from the elements, like under a patio or covered porch. Balance the bin on 2 pieces of wood so that it is elevated slightly off the ground. Leave the holes in the bottom uncovered so that air can flow through them.[7]
- Add a deep layer of brown scraps to your compost bin. Use the brown scraps that you have collected to pad the bottom of the compost bin. Make sure the scraps are large enough so that they don't fall through the air holes in the bottom.[8]
- You may have to shred some of your larger scrap pieces to make them fit in your bin.
- Put a layer of green scraps on top of the brown scraps. Make sure the green scraps sit just on top of the brown scrap layer. Do not mix the layers together yet. Fill up your compost bin another .[9]
- Sprinkle a small layer of soil on top of your green scraps. You can either use store-bought soil or some from your backyard. Sprinkle a small amount of soil on top of the green scraps so that it covers them up.[10]
- You can purchase soil from most garden supply stores.
- Add alternating layers of scraps and soil until the compost bin is half full. Add another brown scrap layer, another green scrap layer, and another small layer of dirt. Alternate this pattern until the compost bin is about ½ way full.[11]
- Depending on the size of your compost bin, you may need 2 to 3 more altering layers.
- Lay your test squares in your bin with the yarn hanging over the side. Carefully place your test squares of plastic into your compost bin on top of the last layer you put down. Space out each square so that they aren't touching. Make sure the yarn is hanging outside of the bin so that you can find the scraps later on.[12]
- If your compost bin is too small to hold each square without them touching, take 1 square away.
- Add alternate layers of scraps and soil until the compost bin is full. Pile more brown scraps, green scraps, and soil on top of your test squares until your compost bin cannot hold anymore. Make sure the yarn stays hanging on the side of the compost bin the entire time.[13]
[Edit]Examining the Plastic - Mix the compost once a week using your hands. The ingredients in your compost must be mixed together in order to break down. Put on gloves to protect your hands and then reach into your compost bin. Mix the layers from the bottom up for about 5 minutes once a week. Break up any clumps that you see in your compost.[14]
- Make sure you leave the yarn hanging outside of the compost bin.
- If you accidentally unbury your test squares, just bury them again in the middle of the compost.
- Dig up your test squares after 12 weeks. The European standard for biodegradable material is 12 weeks, so if your plastic hasn't broken down by then, it is not technically biodegradable. Carefully remove the top layers of compost and find the test squares hidden underneath. Take each one out of the compost so that you can look at them.[15]
- Examine the test squares to see if they have decomposed at all. When plastic starts to break down, it gets holes in it, becomes cracked, changes colors, and reduces in size. After 12 weeks of sitting in compost, your plastic pieces should be close to broken down if not completely degraded. Any pieces left, if there are any, should be small.[16]
- If the plastic looks the same as when you buried it, it has not broken down and it is probably not biodegradable.
- Plastics that are slightly broken down but not completely degraded are still biodegradable, but they are not up to the biodegradability standard.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Plastic
- Scissors
- Yarn or twine
- Compost bin
- Brown scraps
- Green scraps
- Soil
- Gloves
[Edit]References |
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