Whatever devices and devices are invented to facilitate the cooking process. For those who like to experiment in the kitchen and avid meat-eaters, a tender for meat beating is simply an irreplaceable thing. This kitchen gadget is also called a meat ripper. Chops and steaks prepared with its help have a delicate and soft structure and attractive appearance.
The purpose of the tender
This device replaces the hammer for beating meat. But it has several advantages. When using a hammer, spray from the future chop will fly around the kitchen. To avoid such consequences, you can use a cling film, but the result will still not be the same. In addition, loud sounds during beating cannot be avoided.
The principle of operation of the tenderizer is the softening of the coarse fibers of the meat piece. This is due to sharp blades, spikes or needles that penetrate deep into the product, thereby destroying its structure. After processing, the product is marinated. The marinade passes through holes throughout the depths, giving the meat incredible juiciness.
At the same time, the cooking process takes less time, the meat is evenly fried and has a rich taste.
This device can be used both at home - for cooking a pair of steaks, and in a professional kitchen. For beating meat on an industrial scale, there are special models that allow you to process up to 200 kg of food per hour.
Initially, the design of the tenderizer was designed to soften dense pieces of beef and mutton.Later, the device began to be used in the process of preparing pork. Some inventive housewives use this device for fillet of poultry or fish.
Varieties of meat grinders
Meat softeners come in several forms:
- hand held;
- mechanical;
- electric.
Manual tendering is in most cases a small item. When pressed, the knives extend and interact with the meat, dissecting the fibers and tendons. Most often, the device has a convenient holder, but this part is optional. The device can be round, square or rectangular. The location of the blades is allowed both in one row or in several.
You can also find roller meat softener. It performs exactly the same functions.
Holding on to the handle, you just need to guide it along the processed surface of the product.
The mechanical model of the tender - the design is more complicated and has more impressive dimensions. Some devices look like a manual meat grinder. The essence of the work is this: slices of a certain thickness of meat are served in a special compartment, inside the machine, the product is exposed to the blades and goes into the pallet designed for this.
The electric meat grinder is a professional tool for restaurants, cafes and other catering places where meat dishes are prepared. For cooks working in the meat shop, this unit is almost indispensable, since the set includes a lot of nozzles for processing meat preparations. The difference between this type of tenderisers is the performance of the device. It is capable of processing raw materials on an industrial scale and at high speed.
Variety of models
Literally every company manufacturing kitchen units and accessories for them produces tenders. Popular models of such brands are:
- Borner
- Empire
- Fissman;
- Presto
- Hendi.
All meat cutting tools have perfectly honed steel blades. In addition to this metal, the device may contain elements of plastic, aluminum, wood or silicone. These materials are non-toxic and safe when interacting with products.
You can choose a tender model based on your own culinary tastes and preferences. If meat is cooked only on special occasions and big holidays, a compact manual softener is suitable.
And gourmets and amateurs often pamper themselves with delicious meat but you can fork out for a mechanical device.
Many types of meat grinders are simply amazing. Among them, the following options should be highlighted.
- Vertical fixtures with holder. The result is achieved by pressing and moving along the surface of a piece of meat.
- Roller. They have a movable roller with sharp spikes and a handle. As an option, the handles can also be on the sides of the roller itself. Easy to use, do not require much effort.
- Round. The blade plate is located on a semicircular plastic base, and the second half of the circle is a convenient handle. To achieve the desired result, you just need to roll the device from one edge to another.
- In the form of a hammer. On the one hand, it’s an ordinary hammer for beating meat, and on the opposite side there is a tenderizer. Upon impact, the cutting elements penetrate the product and soften it.
- With compartment for the sauce. It looks like the same vertical meat-ripper, but in place of the handle there is a container for the marinade. He immediately goes deep into the piece, soaking it from the inside. A very convenient thing, can significantly reduce the pickling time of the product.
Safety in use
The vast majority of models have a protective cover or the blades are hidden in the middle of the device. An exception is roller devices, their spikes should be treated with caution. When processing the future steak should be held exclusively with a fork or spatula, but in no case with your hand.If the meat blank has a bone, then stumbling upon it, the thin blade of the device may break.
To clean the tender after use, you need to remove its removable part and carefully rinse under a stream of hot water. Dry all elements and assemble the mechanism in reverse order.
The appliance must not be washed in a dishwasher using ordinary dishwashing detergents.
In electric meat strippers, all sharp fragments are hidden as much as possible with protective panels. Therefore, the possibility of injury during work is reduced to zero. To rinse such an aggregate, it is necessary to disassemble the case and the working panel in order to qualitatively remove all leftover meat.
Consumer Opinions
The reviews that the owners of meat grinders leave on culinary sites are very diverse. Some (and most of them) praise the purchased appliance and have no idea how they could cook meat without it before. Other users do not share this enthusiasm and do not find obvious advantages. In any case, the tenderisers cope with the task and ardent opponents of their use is not observed.
The softener is able to make a beautiful tender and juicy steak from an imperfect piece of meat of not the highest grade. It’s definitely not possible to cook with a hammer. He also makes the meat blank soft, but at the same time it flattenes it. Tenderizer copes with tendons better than a hammer. It acts from the inside, changing the structure, but maintaining the shape of the product.
This kitchen device should be purchased and tested in action by every housewife. Even if steaks and chops are not cooked every day, the tender will take its place of honor in the kitchen, waiting in the wings.
See a video review of the meat tenderizer below.
