Tenderisers

Meat mallets are used to tenderise raw meat and poultry by breaking up the tough fibres. They are also used to flatten more tender cuts such as veal or chicken to make escalopes.

A mallet usually has two different faces; a smooth one for gently pounding and flattening meat, and a spiky, notched side for breaking down the fibrous tissues in thick cuts of meat.

Flattening Meat

Use the smooth face of the mallet to flatten escalopes of veal or chicken to half their original thickness. Put the meat between two pieces of cling film and gently pound it with a stroking motion to break down the fibres and homogenise the texture of the flesh. The meat will become wonderfully tender, and will cook in just a few minutes. More details on making pork and veal escalopes may be found in the Preparing Meat section.

Tenderising Meat

Use the notched face of the mallet to cut through fibrous tissues and tenderise meat. This face should only be used for thick cuts of meat, never on thin escalopes or tender fillets.