Jamie Oliver's Steak

You don't have to tenderize meat to cook a good steak; you do have to tenderize meat, however, to cook the best steak. According to MasterClass, tenderizing leaves small holes for marinades and seasonings to seep into, thus making the steak juicier and softer for chewing. Your preparation method matters as well; if you plan to fry, grill, or broil a thick cut-steak, tenderizing it will aid in the process.

Per Livestrong, tenderizing thick cuts of meat rather than purchasing thinner cuts from the start can actually be healthier. Tough cuts of meat are protein rich, and the meat's calorie and fat content is reduced when cooking thin cuts. In the end, you're left with a product that's high in protein and minimal in fat and calories. Not to mention the benefits on your budget, as tough cuts of meat are much less expensive than tender ones. Because tenderizing is the way to go, one chef recently shared his secret for creating a tender piece of meat without a meat tenderizer.

On "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert", Chef Jamie Oliver shared his method for tenderizing meat, and it's quite simple. "What this does is adds flavor, texture... it speeds up the cooking," Oliver says whilst holding a large baton. He then begins to beat his raw steak with the baton, instructing Colbert to "let the emotions come out," as he speeds up his velocity. Hilariously, the band drums along with the chef and talk show host, and Colbert asked, "Should I be thinking about anyone in particular while doing this?"

Per OXO, pounding the meat in such a way breaks up fibers to loosen the muscles. Though Oliver didn't use a particular tool to tenderize his meat, some people opt for a meat tenderizer. A meat tenderizer has one flat side and one textured side; the flat side is used for beating softer proteins while the textured side works best with tough cuts.