Meat+Poultry - October 2019 - 55

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V

inegar is the fate of drinking or grain
alcohol exposed to oxygen and acetic
acid bacteria, those from the genus
acetobacter. These bacteria metabolize
alcohol into water and acetic acid, producing
the very stable, multi-functional liquid known
as vinegar.
Vinegar is one of the few products around
today that has been in grandma's kitchen for
centuries, making it a clean-label ingredient.
Often described as sour to the taste buds,
vinegar ingredients have long been appreciated
by meat and poultry processors for their
contribution to tenderizing, preserving,
enhancing flavor and even influencing color.
Suppliers offer vinegar ingredients in dry and
liquid extract format, with or without other
functional or flavorful ingredients. It's a natural
ingredient, albeit one that is not federally
regulated with a standard of identity in the US.
The US Food and Drug Administration only
addresses vinegar in its Compliance Policy
Guides. The agency says that an ingredient can
be labeled vinegar when the product contains
in excess of 4 grams of acetic acid per 100
milliliters. When vinegar is diluted with water,
the label must bear a statement indicating
such, as well as specify the acetic acid strength
as a percentage, with that percentage always
being greater than 4 percent.
Although acetic acid is the primary
constituent of vinegar after water, acetic acid
is not vinegar. Vinegar contains many vitamins
and other compounds inherent to the substrate
material. Some of these are responsible for
imparting color and unique flavors to vinegar.
Some vinegars further develop color and flavor
from being fermented or aged in wood barrels.
There are many varieties of commercial
vinegar, which are often used in meat and
poultry marinades.
Vinegar production is a two-step process,
with the first step requiring a sugar-containing
ingredient in solution. This may be anything
from fruit juice to malt to rice. The process
begins with yeast feeding on the sugar and
fermenting it into alcohol. The second step
involves the acetobacter feeding on the
alcohol, fermenting it into a sour-tasting
byproduct, which the French first dubbed
vinaigre, or "sour wine."
The type of vinegar produced, and its
corresponding color and flavor, depends on the

substrate being fermented. Depending on the
variety, vinegar can contribute buttery, malty,
savory, sweet and even woody flavors.
Two of the more common fruits used in
vinegar production are apples and grapes,
which respectively yield apple cider vinegar
and (red or white) wine vinegar. There's also
various spirit - champagne, sherry, etc. -
vinegars, as well as malt (made from malted
barley) vinegar.
Distilled white vinegar is the most common
and most economic vinegar. It is industrially
produced using grain alcohol as the base
material and is almost pure acetic acid without
any color or flavor. Balsamic vinegar, on the
other hand, is likely the most expensive and
complex vinegar, with color and flavor varying
by grape combination and aging process.
Although balsamic is often classified as a
wine vinegar, it is not, since it is not made from
wine. It is produced using a single-step process
with a special yeast and bacterial culture
mixture fermenting grape pressings, also
known as must. This is a juice that is not first
fermented into wine. Rather, the concentrated
grape juice is converted into alcohol and acid
at the same time. Balsamic vinegars further
undergo a lengthy aging process for color and
flavor development.

Culinary
professionals
know that a
small amount
of vinegar
makes food
taste bright
and fresh.

PROCESSING WITH VINEGAR
Acetic acid, like other acids, are volatile
molecules that release positive hydrogen
ions. These ions exert various effects on other
molecules in foods, including meat and poultry.
Culinary professionals know that a small
amount of vinegar makes food taste bright and
fresh. Too much, however, may make the food
unpleasantly sour.
First and foremost, vinegar is used as a
tenderizer for meat and poultry. It may be
added as an injected marinade in very tough
proteins or applied via a soak or rub. It's never
directly added as only vinegar. With marinades,
vinegar is mostly included with stock,
seasoned water or fruit/vegetable puree. Rubs
for roasts or steaks may use a slurry of vinegar,
oil and seasoning.
It is the vinegar's free hydrogen ions
that tenderize. They interact with proteins,
altering their molecular structure and
changing their texture and consistency.
Vinegar breaks the chemical bonds that hold
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Meat+Poultry - October 2019

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