5 Spices You Should Never Add When Boiling Meat: Keep It Tender and Tasty

10 September, 2024

Cooking Wine

The first seasoning you should avoid when boiling meat is cooking wine. While cooking wine is a popular kitchen ingredient often used to eliminate food odors, boiling meat with it will impart an unusual flavor and alter the meat’s natural taste.

When boiling meat at a low temperature, the wine cannot evaporate, affecting the meat’s flavor. Thus, it’s best to add wine only during the marination process or when stir-frying over high heat.

Avoid Using Cooking Wine When Boiling Meat

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

MSG is commonly added to dishes to enhance tenderness and sweetness. However, it is not suitable for boiled meat. Meat, when boiled, naturally releases its own sweetness, and adding MSG will overpower this natural flavor, making the broth overly sweet and imbalanced.

Sugar

Sugar is typically used to enhance sweetness or balance sour and salty flavors in dishes. Nonetheless, it is not recommended for boiling meat. Adding sugar to boiled meat will result in an odd sweetness and an unpleasant-tasting broth.

Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is a traditional Vietnamese condiment used for marinating, seasoning, and dipping various dishes. Some home cooks add it to boiled meat, but this practice alters the meat’s aroma and makes it tough.

Black Pepper

Black pepper boosts the flavor of dishes, but it is not suitable for boiled meat. The strong flavor of pepper can overpower the natural taste of pork. Additionally, pepper can dry out the meat, making it tough and less juicy. Experienced chefs, therefore, advise against adding black pepper when boiling pork.

Hawthorn Berry

Hawthorn berry, also known as Chinese hawthorn, is a fruit commonly sold in dried fruit stores and traditional Chinese medicine shops. It is nutrient-rich and has a unique combination of mild sweetness and sourness. This fruit is particularly useful for tenderizing stewed meat dishes.

However, it is best to reserve hawthorn berry for slow-cooked dishes like beef or beef tendon stews. For boiled pork or pork bone soups, refrain from using this ingredient to avoid altering the dish’s flavor.

Frequently asked questions

While rosemary and thyme are great for adding flavor to meat, they can make the meat tough and dry if added during the boiling process. This is because they contain aromatic oils that can cause the meat fibers to contract and toughen.

It is best to avoid spices like paprika, cayenne pepper, and chili powder as they can overpower the natural flavor of the meat and make it less tender. These spices are better suited for dishes where the meat is the star of the show and is meant to be juicy and full of flavor.

Spices can impact the tenderness of meat during boiling due to their chemical composition. Some spices contain enzymes that can break down the proteins in the meat, making it more tender. However, other spices can cause the meat fibers to contract and toughen, resulting in a drier, less tender texture.

Yes, instead of using spices, you can try adding herbs, citrus juices, or wine to the boiling liquid. These ingredients can add flavor and moisture to the meat without affecting its tenderness. You can also marinate the meat before boiling it to infuse flavor.

If you want to use spices with meat, it’s best to add them in moderation and towards the end of the boiling process. This way, you can still enjoy the flavor they impart without sacrificing tenderness. You can also try using whole spices instead of ground spices as they release flavor more slowly.