Tough Meat Problems? Then Get The Best Meat Tenderizer Tools! (2022)

I know you don’t like eating tough meat. Nope. Whether it’s a barbecue or you’re eating jerky, tough meat cuts are still a big no. There’s no food connoisseur who would even entertain having tough meat on their plate, even if it’s a high-quality cut, as there is an unwritten rule that meat should always be as tender as possible.

If this is a problem you often face when you’re cooking, you’d better go and acquire the best meat tenderizer tool around. It might sound flashy, but a meat tenderizer is actually a simple, helpful device that allows you to soften the meat before you start cooking.

If this benefit to your kitchen doesn’t appeal to you, then I don’t know what will. If you were born and raised in the kitchen, you will know that tenderizing meat is a lengthy process that also consumes a lot of power and fuel.

Fortunately, there are a lot of options available to you and I have listed the best here so that you don’t have to search for them yourself. Don’t worry. All the items that I feature have a great reputation in the cooking community, and you will certainly love them! So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

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Each of these meat tenderizers has a different design, with various features and different price tags. Therefore, it is up to you to check which one of them meets the requirements of your meat (pun intended)! I have written a short but comprehensive review of them all in the following section. So read on!

Best Meat Tenderizers: Full Review And Roundup

1. OXO SoftWorks Meat Tenderizer

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Lightweight and ergonomic – both of these descriptions fit this quality tenderizer perfectly. I know a lot of kitchen geeks and cooks who use this tool to pre-tenderize their meat before cooking. It is super effective and has all the necessary characteristics that make it extremely useful in the kitchen.

The handle allows a snug grip that will not hurt your hand and also prevents it from slipping. It is also highly maneuverable thanks to the lightweight and straightforward design. The side of its “hammer” is smooth, which makes it the ideal tool for pounding tough meat! Even frozen goods can’t resist its power.

One thing that you will certainly like about this product is its sturdiness and durability. It is rugged enough to survive a fall without cracking. And it can withstand the test of time! With all of these features, it is a surprise that this tenderizer is still an affordable option!

Pros

• Effective pounding mechanism.
• Lightweight and maneuverable.
• Long lifespan.
• Easy to clean (dishwasher safe).
• Slip-free grip.

Cons

• No drawbacks.

2. Weston Manual Meat Cuber/Tenderizer

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Are you looking for a heavy-duty, stand-alone meat tenderizer? If so, I will introduce you to the Weston Manual Meat Cuber and Tenderizer. If you are planning to marinate your meat, you should run it through this machine first! It will guarantee that your meat is so tender it can absorb anything.

The Weston Manual Meat Cuber/Tenderizer comes with 30 stainless steel blades, which can soften any tough chunk of meat. It also has an innovative setup that you can use in small commercial applications. This device is not difficult to use. It comes with two clamps that mount it to any counter or table that has a thickness of 1.5 inches or less.

Cleaning this device is not an issue as it can be easily disassembled, and it is also dishwasher-safe. The Weston is made from cast aluminum with a sturdy and stable base, so it has a very durable with a rugged construction! With these features, you can ensure this device will meet your tough demands!

Pros

• Compact design.
• No chemical interaction with food (the device has a food coating).
• Extremely efficient tenderizing power.
• Stable mounting system.
• Easy to clean.

Cons

• Slightly pricey.

3. Jaccard Tenderizer

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This unit from Jaccard is another innovative option. It contains dozens of sharp knives that tenderize any meat by creating small entry points. This mechanism significantly reduces the cooking time of your food.

The creation of the tiny channels enables the marinade to fully enter the flesh of the meat by improving the capacity of the meat to absorb fluid. This allows your meat to become more flavorful and juicier. Moreover, it allows better heat penetration and distribution throughout the meat. As a result, you won’t be overcooking or undercooking your meat in future.

The Jaccard Tenderizer can make the most out of your meat by enhancing the entire texture of meat, even if it is not a high-quality cut. The design and construction of this device is compact, durable, and easy to use. In fact, it is among the most ergonomic meat tenderizers that I have used. 

Pros

• Easy to use.
• Improves the overall quality of meat.
• Dishwasher safe.
• Storage is not a problem.
• Slip-free design.

Cons

• It breaks the fibers of thin meat too much.
• Washing it is quite awkward (as it has some hard-to-reach parts).

4. Norpro Grip-EZ Meat Pounder

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It is already notable that today’s meat tenderizers have different designs. Some of them are complicated while others offer you the benefit of simplicity. If you prefer the latter, then the Norpro Grip-EZ Meat Pounder is the one for you. It is a small device that can fit your hand perfectly. It is easy to use and very efficient.

This meat tenderizer is rugged and resistant to any detriments in the kitchen. It is crafted from commercial-grade mirrored stainless steel with some iron components. All in all, this is a lovable piece of kitchenware that can enhance the quality of your raw meat!

I personally like the functionality of the Norpro Grip-EZ Meat Pounder. It is small but heavy enough to provide the force that you need to tenderize your meat. It gives you the exact power and maneuverability that you require to pound and soften your meat without stressing your hands. And since it has a simple design, cleaning is not difficult! Just make sure that you handwash it. 

Pros

• Compact and maneuverable.
• Easy to clean.
• Can tenderize meat easily.
• Durable and rugged.
• Resists rust and corrosion.

Cons

• Too small for large pieces of meat.

5. Cave Tools Meat Tenderizer Mallet Tool

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The Cave Tools Meat Tenderizer Mallet Tool is a professional tool. Many restaurants are using this device to tenderise their meat ingredients for recipes like fried steak and cordon bleu. This mallet also works on poultry, beef, and other sturdy ingredients. It can also easily deal with nuts and hard candies.

The entire tool is made from stainless steel and is dishwasher safe. Therefore, cleaning and maintaining it is not a problem. Since it is a commercial-grade tenderizer, its durability is not questionable. Storage is not an issue either, as this is a compact tool.

I consider that the Cave Tools Meat Tenderizer Mallet Tool to have the ideal weight distribution. With this, you can pound your meat without stressing your hand. The silicone handle also prevents accidental slips that could disrupt your work. You will love investing in this awesome meat mallet!

Pros

• Ergonomic design.
• Ideal for commercial usages.
• Easy to store.
• Storage is not a problem.
• Can pound meat effectively.

Cons

• It requires thorough cleaning.
• Its seams are too near to the edge.

Do You Need A Meat Tenderizer?

There are some people who don’t think a meat tenderizer is a necessary item to purchase, and it might be the last tool that you’d want to add to your kitchen.

After all, there are various ways to soften your meat, such as boiling it in a hot pot of water for several hours. Well, this method is effective and it has been used for ages by various culinary systems around the world.

I used to employ this method myself and, like many others, thought I also didn’t need a meat tenderizer. Fortunately, this changed when one of my aunts gave me a meat tenderizer last Christmas.

At first, I was really skeptical about this tool as I didn’t see why this tool was a necessary addition, but my aunt just told me that I should just try it. Being an obedient person, I did what she told me. I used the mallet to pound a tough round cut that I was going to use for my barbecue. From that moment on, my opinion about this tool changed drastically. 

• You need a meat tenderizer because of its effectiveness in making things soft. It breaks the fibers of the meat in a way that loosens the meat, but it never reaches the point where the meat gets scrambled.
• It will improve the efficiency of your food preparation process by actually reducing the time you spend in the kitchen! By tenderising the meat, you can cut a two-hour cooking session down to just an hour. But how?
  Tender meat has loose fibers, which means it has enough openings for the heat to penetrate easily. This is simple science. If heat is easily channeled into an object, the latter will be easily catalyzed. In other words, soft meat is easier to cook than the hard variety!
• You will improve your speed and efficiency if you soften the meat before running it through meat grinders or sausage stuffers.
• Having a meat tenderizer will save power and fuel. The traditional method of tenderising meat requires you to boil the meat for many hours. Sometimes, it can take a day before you are able to soften the tough cuts! Of course, this procedure is necessary, but it wil cost you money in the form of electricity and fuel. But if you have a manual meat tenderizer tool, you can easily overcome this ordeal. 

You might need to lift some muscles to use the mallet. But hey, if this means you can save your hard-earned money, why not go for it? Well, my answer to this is pretty obvious. In fact, I really love pounding things now!

How To Choose The Best Meat Tenderizer Tool

As you have seen, most of today’s tenderizers have different designs, features, and capabilities. Therefore, the tools are pretty diverse. Despite this fact, there are still some things that you should consider before you get one. Here they are:

Pounding Mechanism

A meat tenderizer functions like a hammer (if you use a mallet). You soften the meat by continuously hammering its entire flesh. As the pounding continues, the fibers that hold the flesh in place start to loosen and you eventually get the results you want!

Of course, this is the standard meat tenderizer that I am talking about. There are some other meat tenderizers with different approaches. Some of them use tiny, sharp blades that create multiple openings on the surface of the meat. Others have a number of pyramid-like protrusions on the hammer.

Regardless of which one of these you are going to choose, make sure that the unit perfectly suits your own needs and preferences, so that you can easily use your device without any hassle at all!

Convenience

We all know that using this tool requires serious work. Therefore, it is essential that it sprovide you with the convenience and comfort you need while you are using it. If it is a mallet type of tenderizer, make sure that its handle allows you to hold it tightly. Moreover, it should have a slip-free design that prevents the tool from slipping from your hands.

The device should also have a balanced weight distribution and be the right weight to give you the appropriate force for pounding the meat. It should not, however, be so heavy that it will be a burden in your hand. In short, there should be a balance between its functionality and effectiveness.

Durability

The meat tenderizer should be tougher than the meat. That is the golden rule that you should always heed whenever you are shopping for this item. The ideal construction of the tool is stainless steel. This is the most kitchen-friendly material that you can get today, as it is rigid, durable and impervious to rust or corrosion, as well as being easy to clean and maintain.

Although you can choose a number of other meat pounders out there, always make the ones constructed out of stainless steel your top priority, as they will be durable and survive any damage that is caused by accidental falls.

The Tenderizing Truth

Overall, the Weston Manual Meat Cuber/Tenderizer provided the highest performance of all the best meat tenderizer tools that I featured in this article. It has innovative features and an ergonomic design, so it can easily soften your meat without requiring too much effort. Furthermore, the fact it’s so easy to use and clean makes this a top-tier option. Therefore, it is easy to conclude that the Weston is the best meat tenderizer today.

But, of course, other products. like the Jaccard Tenderizer and Norpro Grip-EZ Meat Pounder, are great alternatives if you decide that the Weston doesn’t fit your requirements. In fact, all of the tenderizers featured here can cater for every niche. Just make sure that you know what you are looking for.

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