A meat tenderizer, also called a kitchen mallet, is perhaps the fastest way to make a cut of meat more tender, and most mallets have a flat side of the head as well as a side covered in small spikes. While the flat side is good for pounding already-tender cuts like chicken breasts into a flat, even shape, the spiked side is best at tenderizing.

The spiked side of a meat mallet makes small indentations in the meat that break up the muscle tissue and make the cut softer. A good pounding with a tenderizer also helps marinade soak into a cut of meat more thoroughly, and reduces the time needed to cook it through while also evening out its shape, for faster, more consistent cooking.

To use the tenderizing side of a mallet, start pounding firmly around the edge of a piece of meat, gradually working your way into the center as the meat flattens and softens until the whole surface is evenly covered in indentations. Tenderizing meat is a nice extra step for steak or pork chops, but a must for certain dishes like chicken cutlets.