A simple tip to have things tasting like you have some cooking-savvy: a meat pounder (or mallet). After I learned about tenderizing meat with a meat mallet, I became a chicken-breast snob. The secret to tender chicken breasts, turkey breasts, and pork tenderloins is to pound the smithereens out of them. Sounds elegant, eh?
I used to pound my meat with a big, heavy, metal soup ladle until I decided to break down and buy the real deal. To prevent mess, you can put the meat cuts in a plastic freezer bag and pound through it! But I promise, this kitchen utensil is a MUST have. Up there with a spatula.
The kids love to get in on the action of this, too! Try making the Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Sauce on my quick, grain-free meals post: “I’ve Got 30 Minutes…Tops.” I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. But, hey, if you are, let me know anyway!
Do you have a meat mallet? Do you pound your chicken breasts? What is YOUR favorite utensil?
Posts still in the draft bin due to time shortages: Gaps ReIntroduction Final post and How I “Stay on the Wagon” (not to be confused with telling YOU how to stay on the wagon)
The HSD 
My mum always had one. I think I may just get one now!!
Really? My mom didn’t, I don’t think. But it really, really makes a difference! For chicken breasts, we pound them and then marinate them in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and grill. Or pound them and make into the chicken strips. Or just pound and fry up. So tender.
I just remembered my great grandma,she had several mallet of different sizes. I don’t have one.
Interesting…my mother-in-law, who is now a pounder, told me that her mom and mother-in-law always pounded their meats with a mallet (but she didn’t until I reminded her of it a few years ago). One of those traditional things that got lost, I suppose! Hope you are great over there, The Vanilla Housewife!
oooh a meat mallet, now this sounds fun! I could take out my anger at being ill (or at the other half for leaving his dirty socks on the floor again!) on the meat! If I can do it without making my arm pain worse that is….My favourite utensil, that’s a toughy…I’ll have to get back to you on that!
My second favorite, I think, is my garlic press. And I’m telling you, once you pound out chicken breasts and cook them however you cook them, you’ll be a pounder forever! Make the dirty sock culprit pound them!
I need a new garlic press mine is so fiddly, I end up wasting half the garlic bulb cos I get bored/ tired trying to get it all out. I shall get Ben to pound away the next time we have chicken!
I have one, but I don’t use it all that often. I’m always in a hurry when I am preparing food. I am going to start pounding again 🙂
I’m laughing! I am always in a hurry when I cook, too! But I’m telling you, the pounded boneless pork chops and chicken breasts taste that much better, it’s not a step I skip. People ask me for the grilled chicken recipe when I make it, but it’s not really the “recipe”–I know they like it because it’s tenderized with the pounding. Do you peel your carrots? How about garlic before you press it?
I don’ peel anything organic, if it’s not organic I peel it. My garlic press just presses out the yummy stuff and the skin is left behind. Why do you ask?
Most people I know peel their carrots so I just wondered. And as for garlic, I never used a press before this past year (much) and at first I was peeling the cloves and then pressing. That was WAY too time consuming so I just started pressing them in their brown skins. I never knew what other people do! So I thought I’d ask! Any shortcut I can take, I like to know about! Any winter squash tips to expedite peeling?
LOL! With winter squash I ALWAYS roast whole then scoop out the yummy insides. Easy peasy! I sometimes roast a couple at a time so I have plenty for soup. We eat a lot of soup in the winter 🙂