Meat Tenderizers – What Are Your Choices?

As a child you were probably baffled when you saw your parents or grandparents beating their steaks with a hammer, but as adults, we realize that this practice is common-place. Why do chefs, cooks and household food lovers all over the world tenderize meat before cooking it? In order to soften it. This enables flavors such as good oil, spices and marinades to be more easily absorbed, and makes the result easier to chew.

Meat Tenderizer Mallets

This is a common and time-tested tool for tenderizing meat. It is basically a hammer that usually has studs or small rounded spikes. Try to find a meat tenderizer that has both a studded side and a flat one. This will allow you to flatten meat with the smooth side and then tenderize with the other side, breaking down the fibers. Not every piece of meat requires to same treatment, and some are more delicate than others. If there are bones, they might splinter and become a choking hazard, so try another method if you are not using a boneless cut.

Potato-Masher Style Tenderizers

While many meat tenderizers are made in the form of a mallet, there are also the types which resemble potato mashers. These are basically a flat surface at the base, which is attached to a vertical handle. The benefit of these tenderizers is that you can use your body weight rather than swinging power. Since they do not have to be convenient to swing, these types of meat tenderizers can also be made with larger surfaces for bigger pieces of meat.

Liquid Meat Tenderizers

If the idea of bashing your meat with a hammer does not sit well with you, there are alte
atives. Try buying a natural liquid meat tenderizer. They should be tasteless and odorless, otherwise avoid using them, or risk adding an odd taste to your meal. This type of meat tenderizer saves time and effort because you either apply it to your meat and leave it to set, or you can even add it to marinades. No one likes to put any unusual substances into their cooking, but natural liquid meat tenderizers only contain papain, which is a naturally-occurring enzyme found in unripe papaya. If you choose this option, your meat will not only be tenderized without a lot of beating, it will also take less time to cook. This is excellent for the elderly or anyone who finds it difficult to swing a mallet-style meat tenderizer with enough force to be effective.

Do-It-Yourself Meat Tenderizing

There are methods for tenderizing meats using everyday kitchen items. These include things like salt or vinegar. However, if you add something with flavor to meat, it is going to alter how your meal tastes. This is why the aforementioned meat tenderizer mallets or natural liquid meat tenderizers are the ideal solutions when you have some meat which needs softening up before cooking. If you still want to try a home-made method there is no harm, but you might not end up with the desired result.