3 easy ways to beat meat without a kitchen hammer

There are several ways to beat meat for chops without a kitchen hammer. A large chef's knife, a wooden rolling pin, a glass bottle, a carpenter's hammer, a hatchet, a flat stone are suitable for this purpose... But not all methods are equally good.

When choosing suitable means at hand, it is important to remember that you need to soften the muscle fibers a little, and not tear them. The piece of meat should remain intact, without holes or torn edges. To do this correctly, several interesting techniques are used.

Method 1 - using a knife

If, when going to the country, you took a lean part of pork with you, but do not have a special hammer, you should not cook the meat without pre-processing. After all, you will certainly have a knife. Lean meat must be massaged and the long longitudinal fibers broken, otherwise it will be tough and dry when fried.

You will need 3 things:

• a large knife with a wide blade and a heavy handle;
• cutting board;
• tight package.

You need to do this:

• If necessary, the meat is rinsed with water and cleaned of films.
• For chops, pork is cut into slices 15–20 mm thick.
• To prevent splashes from flying in all directions during the process, each piece is wrapped in film or a bag.
• For work, use the thin side of the knife, but not the sharp one, but the dull one.
• You need to knock on the piece in different directions: first, the blows are applied moving from left to right, and then from bottom to top.
• The procedure is carried out three times on one side, then the piece is turned over and the same is repeated on the other side.

As you can see, everything is simple. The main thing is not to overdo it and handle the knife carefully.

Method 2 - with a wine or beer bottle

It is better to use a heavy, thick-walled glass bottle. You can beat it with the neck or bottom.

If you don’t have glass containers, you can use plastic ones filled with water for weight.

It is not recommended to beat beef with a glass bottle; it will be quite difficult to break the hard fibers.

In the process you will need:

• 0.5 or 0.7 liter glass bottle;
• cutting board;
• knife;
• plastic bottle with water.

We proceed like this:

• Wash the chicken fillet or pork tenderloin and cut it into flat pieces with a sharp knife.
• Wash the bottle well under running water and soapy water and rinse.
• If the bottle is glass, use a clean neck to break off both sides, covering the entire area. When working with a plastic bottle, use the bottom, which can additionally be wrapped in film or a bag.

Method 3 - with a carpenter's hammer

At the dacha or on a hike, you may have carpentry tools at hand. Something heavy with a flat, blunt side will do to deliver heavy blows without damaging the meat. For example, a small hatchet or hammer.

You will need:

• board;
• knife;
• hammer or hatchet;
• several plastic bags.

Heavy tools can break the fibers in beef and pork, but chicken needs to be handled very carefully to avoid tearing the whole piece apart.

We proceed like this:

• Cut the meat into pieces with a knife and wrap it in a bag.
• We also wrap carpentry tools in polyethylene to comply with hygiene rules.
• Without using too much force, we beat both sides twice.

What kind of meat is cut?

Different types of meat are used for chops:

• poultry fillet (chicken, duck, turkey);
• various lean parts of pork;
• less often - lamb or veal.

The poultry's muscle tissue is tender; when cooked, it does not become too tough. It can be beaten a little if thick parts are used.

If we are talking about pork or veal, then at home housewives must break the fibers to make rolls and chops soft. In nature or in camping conditions, this procedure can be done if the pieces are thicker than one centimeter. It is better not to process thin meat so as not to remove all the juice from it and not get a too dry product after frying.

Why beat the chicken?

The bird is used to prepare tender rolls, filled rolls, large and juicy chops, and for “French-style meat.” If the fillet is properly processed before preparing these dishes, the result is excellent.

When working with chicken or turkey fillet, be sure to:

• cut into portions at least 1 cm thick;
• before beating, put the meat in a bag so as not to spoil the appearance and avoid splashes (before placing a piece in the bag, it can be seasoned with spices and salt);
• Remove the beaten meat from the bag and place it in a bowl for half an hour to marinate.

If you pound meat at home on the table, a damp cloth or kitchen towel will help to avoid excessive noise. It is placed under the cutting board while working with a hammer, and the noise disappears.