I think we can all agree that taking 15 minutes to adequately chew a piece of steak is not ideal. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case as not all cuts of meat turn out tender on the grill. How can you overcome this? Try tenderising your meat prior to cooking.

Here are our top tips for tenderising meat…

– Flatten the meat with a tenderising mallet (easily found at most grocers) or improvise by using the back of a fry pan. Remember to wrap the meat in cling film or plastic to prevent any mess.

– Rub and marinate the meat in apple juice, apple cider vinegar or tomato juice for a few hours before cooking. The acid in the juices serves as a natural tenderiser.

– You can also use lemon juice as above, but remember to use less than the other juices to prevent it from turning sour.

– For an Asian twist, add ginger (another natural tenderiser) to your usual marinade. Try a basic marinade of oil, soy, ginger and brown sugar.

– Some people live by baking soda as a natural tenderiser. You can try this method by gently working baking soda into the meat. Store in the fridge for a few hours, then rinse off and prepare for cooking as per usual.

– Alternatively, if you have the time, consider slow cooking your meat for 8-10 hours for a delicious, fall-of-the-bone stew or pot roast.

– If all else fails, you can put the meat into a grinder and turn it into scrumptious, homemade hamburgers. Why not try Mini Maxim Beef Burgers – a yummy recipe previously submitted by our Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes readers.