The budget cook’s best friend, the meat tenderizer. By physically breaking down thick tissue and fibers, these basic tools and a little elbow grease turn a tough cut of chuck or chicken into a softer-to-chew, tasty protein.
If you’re on the market for a meat tenderizer capable of transforming tough pieces into tender, flavorful meats, there are a few things to keep in mind. To prevent hand fatigue, choose a model that fits well in your hand and isn’t too hefty. Consider the kind of the work you’ll be doing as well. To ensure that marinades and flavors penetrate the meat to the core, use a bladed or needled device. The mallet-style tenderizers are ideal for preparing schnitzel and piccata dishes. Consider a dishwasher-safe option if you’re looking for something simple.
The greatest meat tenderizers include retractable blades and safety locks, as well as classic mallets with two faces.
1. Best Overall: Oxo Good Grips Easy-Clean Bladed Meat Tenderizer
What We Like:
- The non-slip grip is a plus.
- Lightweight
- Blades with razor-sharp edges
- a safety lock for the blade
What We Don’t Like:
- It’s difficult to thoroughly clean all of the pieces.
Use a bladed tenderizer like this one from Oxo to transform your steak from rough and chewy to juicy and tender. Marinades can readily permeate the meat’s thick fibers thanks to the machine’s 50 blades. Because of the rounded top, it’s simple to handle enough steaks for a large dinner party with one hand. The blades can be precisely positioned for uniform tenderization thanks to the transparent base. Toggle locks protect the blades while the tenderizer is not in use, and the lock is recessed so it cannot be mistakenly unlocked. This item may be washed in the dishwasher and can be taken apart for more thorough cleaning.
2. Best Budget: Norpro Meat Tenderizer
What We Like
- The controls are simple to use.
- Stainless steel prongs for spicing things up
What We Don’t Like
- Meat is left with huge holes as a result.
Use this plastic tenderizer with no moving components to get the job done on a budget. To keep marinades and spices in place, it includes spikes instead of thin blades. The spikes on this tenderizer aren’t as hard or sharp as metal blades, so it’s safe to leave it in the kitchen tool drawer unattended. When pushing the tenderizer into the flesh, the top handle is easy to grasp and kid-friendly. This tenderizer may be used to pierce potatoes or dock dough before baking, in addition to tenderizing steaks. By hand, it should be cleaned.
3. Best With Blades: Jaccard Meat Maximizer Tenderizer
What We Like
- Enhanced tenderization with double-sided blades
- Blades with razor-sharp edges
- The controls are simple to use.
The taste of the meat is quite pronounced.
What We Don’t Like:
Assembly/disassembly that is difficult
Tenderizes steaks, chops, and boneless chicken breasts using 45 stainless steel blades, one of the first home meat tenderizers to achieve this goal. It’s a breeze to tenderize meat with this gadget since it has so many blades. The blades retract automatically when the tenderizer is pulled away from the meat after you push down on the handle. A mallet-style tenderizer may flatten meat faster, but this method allows for some thinned-out muscle tissue to develop. The blade assembly may be removed and cleaned individually for a more thorough clean on the top rack of the dishwasher.
4. Best Pounder: Norpro Grip-EZ Tenderizer/Pounder
What We Like:
- The grip is soft and supple.
- Heavy-duty
- A large amount of floor space
When it comes to things that we dislike:
- Cleaning is a hassle.
This tool includes a dual-sided spherical base that screws into the handle, making it similar to a hammer-style tenderizer, but with less strain on the wrists. The flat side of the base pounds and flattens flesh, while the opposite side features sharp spikes for tenderizing purposes. It’s easier to use than a hammer since you can keep your hand on the Santoprene handle and pound the handle straight down. You’ll need less pounding before breading meat for your favorite schnitzel recipe since the base of the tenderizer is broader than typical mallet-style tenderizers. Hand washing is recommended for the Norpro.
5. The Best Carving Knives We Tested for Turkey and More
What We Like
- Dishwasher safe
- Construction with a substantial weight
- The surface area is large
The Things We Hated:
- Accuracy was difficult to get.
- Prolonged usage might wear down the wrist.
This stainless steel meat tenderizer has a broad, flat base akin to a spatula, and operates similarly to a meat mallet. In order to get consistent results while dealing with uneven cuts, such as chicken breasts, this feature enables the tool to impact a larger area of flesh with each stroke. For rapid pan frying or breading, heavier weights give more force and hence reduce the number of strikes required. The handle has a loop for hanging, but it may also be stored in a drawer with other spatulas since it is so little. It is dishwasher safe since the base and handle have a smooth junction.
6. Best Cuber: Weston Manual Meat Cuber-Tenderizer
What we like
- The controls are simple to use.
- Countertop mounting is an option.
- The set comes with a pair of tongs.
- Strongly built.
- For cleaning clogs, there are combs in the package.
What We Don’t Like
- Pricey
This manual cuber makes it simple to prepare a variety of steaks at home, including cube steaks, Swiss steaks, and chicken-fried steaks. When you don’t have to go to the grocery store or ask a butcher to run a steak through his machine, you can do it yourself with whatever kind of meat you have at home. Just put the meat in at the top of the machine, spin the handle, and 31 stainless steel blades penetrate and tenderize the meat as it goes through. Cleanup is a breeze with this cuber since it disassembles simply for easy cleaning after use.
The End of the Story
Our top pick is the Oxo Good Grips Bladed Meat Tenderizer because of its razor-sharp cuts that enhance tenderizing and safety features, such as retractable blades that lock in place and a non-slip grip to keep it steady while in use.. It’s worth noting that the Norpro Professional Meat Tenderizer is a superb affordable alternative.
Choosing a Meat Tenderizer: What to Look for
Design
Things to keep in mind even if you fall into this group. There are a number of factors to consider when purchasing a knife with a blade. Choosing a bladed version? Be sure to opt for a non-slip type to guarantee no sliding during operation. Sharp blades should only be used with dry, clean hands or hands free of food residue.
The kind of tenderizer is also a consideration in the design process. You may use the gridded side of the mallet to create pockets for the marinade while using the flat side to pound the meat until it is thin. You want something that is easy to hold, has enough heaviness to perform the job, but is still light enough to not tire your hands out while working on larger projects.
Keep in mind that the more blades a model has, the more quickly it tenderizes. Retractable blades are a crucial safety element. As a rule of thumb, you should never use more than two blades on a smaller piece of meat. When using a bladed or needled type, make certain that the blades are long-lasting and sharp. Meat may be ripped apart by dull blades and needles, such as knives. Blade locks and guards are other excellent safety features to check for.
Its Cleaning Ease
A meat tenderizer that can be washed in the dishwasher is the most convenient. Look for the dishwasher-safe label on the package if convenience is essential to you. As a matter of fact, hand washing isn’t all that time-consuming, and in certain cases, such as with blade or needle types, you may get a better clean by doing it yourself.
Handle
Meat tenderizers are just one of several kitchen gadgets that you should search for that fit nicely in your hand and provide you the level of control you need. You may use either a blade or needle-style tenderizer to tenderize meat by pressing down on the handle, or you can use a hammer-style handle to swing the meat against the blade or needle to mimic a hammer’s striking motion. At this phase, the focus shifts to the tool’s function. A mallet-style tenderizer is the best tool for pounding chicken cutlets thin for piccata. It’s easier to marinate a tough piece of pork shoulder if it’s chopped into blades or needles.
FAQs
Is it possible to tenderize all kinds of meats?
According to Braised & Deglazed chef and owner Devan Cameron, “Meat tenderizers work best with tough, thin pieces of meat. For best efficacy, buy big, harder slices of beef and then chop them into small pieces that can be tenderized. Pork shoulder, beef brisket, and chicken breast (as in schnitzel) are all examples of cuts that may be made more soft by using a tenderizer.
When is it OK to use a meat tenderizer to the meat?
Tenderizers break down tough muscular tissue in meat, resulting in a softer, more easily chewed protein. It is recommended by Chef Cameron to use a meat tenderizer exclusively on tough pieces of beef like shoulder, brisket and/or chuck.
What is the purpose of beef tenderizer?
You may use this spice mix instead of a meat tenderizer if you don’t have or wish to purchase one. Spices with natural enzymes assist to break down tough meat fibers without using any physical effort. The same effect may be achieved by marinating the meat in acidic liquids such as lemon, papaya, or pineapple juice.
