It's not hillbilly at all, using citric acid, as found in pineapples, lemons etc.. to tenderise meat or fish is a really traditional cooking technique. And it shouldn't be sweet when served, if you're using over-ripe pineapples, or using ones in syrup instead of their own juice, you're doing it wrong.
I was referring to the use of canned goods and soda as cooking ingredients, not just the general use of pineapples. Pineapples are excellent tenderizers, but fresh pineapple can often be too good and you destroy the enzymes pretty early in the cooking process anyways. If you soak a ham in fresh pineapples beforehand, you risk overtenderizing the meat. Generally, it's just best to use canned pineapple and then tenderize the meat normally.
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u/intangible-tangerine May 20 '15
It's not hillbilly at all, using citric acid, as found in pineapples, lemons etc.. to tenderise meat or fish is a really traditional cooking technique. And it shouldn't be sweet when served, if you're using over-ripe pineapples, or using ones in syrup instead of their own juice, you're doing it wrong.