Meat tenderizer

To tenderize meat, one can use a meat pounder or a meat tenderizer. The latter is a wooden hammer - porcelain or aluminum is sometimes used - with a cylindrical or rectangular head with solid, pyramid-shaped buttons on both sides. There are often larger buttons on one side than on the other; for thick and thin cuts of meat respectively. These buttons can be cut from the wooden head, but this can also be a stainless steel plate with buttons attached to the face. The head of the meat mallet can also have an axe, ice pick (1) or steak greith (2) on one side.

Another model has a handle on top instead of a hammer handle. [MOT]

(1) See ''The Stanley Catalog Collection 1855-1898'': 64, 241.

(2) CAMPBELL: 87.