tenderise

Pound before cooking

To tenderise meat is to make it more tender, usually by pounding, marinating, or applying enzymatic agents that break down tough muscle fibers.

A meat mallet tenderises by physical force; papaya and pineapple contain enzymes that tenderise chemically.

The spelling tenderise is British; Americans write tenderize.

cooking

mallet

Soft-headed striking tool

poundingForceful repeated striking
meatAnimal tissue for food
marinateSoak food in flavoring

brine · marinade · hammer · cubing · flattening · papaya · kiwi · pineapple · buttermilk · yogurt

texture

soften

Make less firm

pliableCapable of bending easily
suppleFlexing without damage
yieldingBending under pressure

malleable · breakdown · fibers · succulent · juicy · moist · delicate · buttery

Opposites

texture modification

tenderisetoughen

Make harder to damage

harden · firm up · stiffen · dry out · leatherize

Phrases

meat tenderizerTool to soften flesh

Family

tenderize, tenderized, tenderizes, tenderizer, tenderizing, tenderised, tenderises, tenderiser, tenderising

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G