The Lime Juice Marinating Mistake That's Ruining Your Steaks - Tasting Table

"If you're planning to marinate a cut of steak, lime juice will give your steak marinade a flavor boost. A few squeezes of a fresh lime bring a tangy and zesty complement to steak's umami-rich savoriness. As a highly acidic ingredient, lime juice is also responsible for denaturing the proteins in steak. The proteins in raw meat are wound into tight knots, which the acid in lime juice loosens to make the meat melt-in-your-mouth tender."

"If you over-marinate steak in lime juice, the protein structures won't just unravel, they'll disintigrate, leading to the destruction of the steak's muscle fibers and collagen structures, resulting in a mushy, mealy or even rubbery texture. In one way or another, over-marinating will ruin the consistency of your steak. So be conservative with marinating times. All you need is a 30 minute marinade for many different types of steak to absorb flavor and tenderize."

"Not all cuts of steak need to be marinated; the ideal candidates are leaner cuts that would be especially tough without marination. Eye round, round steaks, skirt, and flank steaks all benefit from a lime juice marinade, but do check out our full list of expert-recommended cuts here. Of course, lime juice isn't the sole ingredient in a tenderizing marinade. You'll need to balance the acidity with other liquid ingredients, not to mention a combination of spices, aromatics, and herbs for flavor."

Lime juice adds tangy, zesty flavor that complements steak's umami and acts as an acid to denature proteins, loosening muscle fibers and collagen to tenderize meat. Excessive marinating in lime juice causes protein structures to disintegrate, destroying muscle fibers and collagen and producing a mushy, mealy, or rubbery texture. Conservative marinating times are essential: about 30 minutes suffices for many steaks, while some cuts may need two to eight hours; overnight or 24-hour lime juice marinades ruin the meat. Lean cuts such as eye round, round steaks, skirt, and flank benefit most. Balance acidity with other liquids, spices, aromatics, and herbs.

Read at Tasting Table