Spending time cooking a pot of delicious meat, only to find it’s tough when you take a bite, instantly feels like a waste of time (sob). To avoid this, we’ll teach you five ways to tenderize meat. By preparing it before cooking, you’ll never again end up with tough meat.

Hammering

Braking is probably one of the simplest methods. Hammering pork or chicken cutlets can make meat tender. Hammers are commercially available specifically for this purpose. You can also use other tools, such as rolling pins.

Salt Water

Scientists say that soaking lean meat, such as chicken breast, in salt water for at least an hour will allow the water to penetrate the meat’s cells, making it plump and juicy. The salt also enters the cells, helping the proteins in the meat retain this water, making the meat more tender. A 5% salt water concentration is ideal; for example, use about 5g of salt for every 100g of water.

Acidic Marinades

Marinating meat with acidic marinades, such as vinegar (which contains acetic acid), red wine (which contains fruit acid), or yogurt (which contains lactic acid), can break down the protein and fiber in the meat, making it tender. However, this method isn’t suitable for thick cuts of meat, as the marinade may not penetrate the center. It’s recommended not to marinate meat for more than two hours, otherwise the meat may become mushy.

Knife

Beef and lamb have many tendons that shrink when cooked, making them difficult to chew. Before cooking, use a knife to create stripes on the surface of the meat. Remember to cut against the grain (commonly known as “across the grain”). This cuts through the tendons and makes the meat more tender when cooked.

Slow-cook or use a pressure cooker

Slow-cooking can make meat more tender by breaking down tough connective tissue. However, stewing for hours is time-consuming and labor-intensive, so many people choose to use a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker cooks food under high pressure and high temperature, significantly shortening the cooking time and allowing the meat to become tender more quickly.