Rather than serve your guests tough, jaw-numbing meat, why not go the meat mallet route? Meat mallets are used to -- you got it -- make tough meat more tender. Use it on boneless chicken and red meat before you cook it. Here’s how:

- Start pounding with the coarse, ridged side of the mallet. This breaks down connective tissues and fibers to make the meat more tender.

- Once you’ve sufficiently broken down the meat, use the other side (it should be smooth or finely pronged) to flatten and smooth it.

- For particularly tough cuts, you may want to use a powdered meat tenderizer as you pound. These are generally made of pineapple or papaya extract, and further break down tough fibers.

Try More Cooking Advice with- How to Stew.

-- Paula Kashtan

See More: Cooking Q&A , How to