If fruits cooked on the barbecue become gourmet desserts, they are also assets of choice to enhance meat. And among all fruits, pineapple stands out as the big favorite. BIG.T, barbecue expert and author of “The Art of Barbecue” published by Marabout, gives us his advice to make pineapple the ally of a successful barbecue.
It’s no secret that pineapple and meat go well together. An emblematic example of this marriage: the “al pastor” taco, a Mexican specialty where pork is marinated in a mixture of chili, garlic, herbs and pineapple juice before being slowly cooked on a vertical spit, similar to a kebab. For his chicken skewers, for example, the chef suggests a marinade made with lemon juice, sesame oil, chopped parsley, soy sauce and pineapple juice. And while this last ingredient will add flavor and a slight sweet note, it will also act on the firmness of the meat.
The chef’s unstoppable trick
Pineapple doesn’t just add flavor, it also contains an enzyme called bromelain that tenderizes meat. “If you have a piece of meat that’s a little too firm, like pork, you can use fresh pineapple juice to tenderize it,” confirms BIG T. “Simply blend fresh pineapple into juice and inject it directly into the meat with a syringe. This trick makes the meat more tender without altering its flavor.” More simply, you can add pineapple juice to your marinade. However, be careful about timing because bromelain works quickly and can make the meat too soft!
