Choosing between a melt-in-your-mouth tender piece of meat and a hard-to-chew tough piece is a no-brainer! No one likes a tough chewy piece of meat. But how do you tenderize tough pieces of meat without having to buy expensive meat cuts?

Tenderizing is a process of breaking the tough muscle fibers in the meat to make it soft to eat and easy to digest. Meats have long fibers running through them which make the meat tough and difficult to chew. They need to be broken down if you want a more melt-in-your-mouth experience rather than a jaw workout. There are essentially 5 ways to break tough fibers in the meat and make it easier to consume: pound, marinate, slow cook, salt, and cut against the grain.

 

#1. Beat the meat!

One of the best ways to tenderize tough cuts of meat is to physically pound it with a meat mallet. It effectively breaks down those tough muscle fibers, while also making the meat more absorbent to various flavors. Place the meat on a cutting board and lightly pound it with the rough side of the mallet, but don’t turn into a mush. If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can also use a rolling pin or a hammer. You may also make crosshatch cuts into the meat with a knife or poke tiny holes with a fork.

 

#2. Marinate, marinate, marinate!

Marinating the meat cuts is another way to tenderize them, a way you can never go wrong with. Marinades, especially acidic ones made of lemon juice, vinegar, or buttermilk, help break down tough proteins and fibers in the meat. Add these acidic juices into your marinade and soak the meat in it for one to 2 hours. Let it soak in the flavor while turning into perfectly juicy and soft chunks of meat, ready for the grill.

 

#3. Cook it slow on the low!

Cooking meats at low temperatures over a long period of time is a great way to tenderize them. Slow cooking the meat breaks down the collagen present in it, loosening the tough muscle fibers, making it soft and tender to eat. Cook it in the slow cooker, oven, or on the grill and let it cook for three to four hours, or until softened throughout.

 

#4. Rub salt!

Rubbing salt on the meat cuts works wonders to make it tender. It breaks down the proteins in the meat while also drawing out moisture from it, making a natural brine and enhancing the flavors and texture of the meat. Just rub the pieces with salt and let it work its magic on them for one to two hours. You can also salt them overnight. When you’re ready to cook, rinse the salt, pat the meat dry, and place them on the grill to cook.

 

#5. Cut against the grain!

Cutting the meat in the right way plays an important role in how you experience eating it. Certain knife techniques will make it more soft and tender. All meats have long muscle fibers that are hard to cut through. Slicing the roasted meat against the grain of these fibers, not parallel to them, will cut the fibers and make them come apart more easily, thus making the meat more soft and tender, and less chewy. You can also make shallow criss-cross cuts on the uncooked meat, which will, one, cut the fibers, and two, help the meat absorb the marinade better.

Easy, isn’t it? While working with tough meat may look like a challenging task, to make and to eat, these hacks will make your experience indefinitely easier.

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