Tenderised for Dummies

Tenderised is a word that we often use to describe food, especially meat, but it can also be used to describe other things. When we say that food is tenderised, it means that it has been made softer and easier to chew. Imagine biting into a juicy piece of steak that just melts in your mouth because it is so tender. That's exactly what we mean when we say something has been tenderised.

Now, let's try to break it down and understand it even better. When we cook food, especially tougher cuts of meat, it can sometimes be quite tough and chewy. This is because meat, muscles in particular, contain tough protein fibers that can make it difficult to eat. However, when we tenderise meat, we are essentially breaking down these tough fibers to make it softer and more enjoyable to eat.

Now, how do we actually tenderise meat? There are a few different methods that restaurants and home cooks use. One popular method is using a meat mallet, which is a tool that looks like a small hammer with a textured surface. By gently pounding the meat with the mallet, we are able to physically break down the tough fibers, making it more tender.

Another method of tenderising meat is marinating. When we marinate meat, we soak it in a flavorful liquid, often made up of ingredients like vinegar, citrus juice, or yogurt. These liquids contain natural acids and enzymes that help to break down the proteins in the meat, resulting in a more tender texture.

So, to put it simply, when we say something has been tenderised, we mean that it has been made softer and easier to chew, especially when it comes to food like meat. It's like making a tough piece of meat more tender by either pounding it with a mallet or marinating it in a flavorful liquid.