Jaccarding Meat: Tenderizing by Piercing

[ElsieD]

Does anyone have one of these? What do you think of it? Or did it become one of those "Stupidest kitchen-gadget purchasing decision you've ever made?"

[Chris Hennes]

The general consensus seems to be that they work as advertised, and are in fact very widely used in the restaurant industry. You might actually check with your butcher to see if they are already Jaccarding it for you, though: mine does, so I don't bother with the gizmo myself.

[mbhank]

Chris is right. You often see them being used by the chefs on the cooking shows. I use mine every time I grill a steak.

[ethermion]

I have had one of them there Jaccard devices for several years. It makes cube steak. No more, no less. Think chicken fried steak. That's the application, and it works well.

If high end restaurants are using them on expensive steaks, I have not noticed in my area. And if I did notice, I would definitely send it back along with many choice words from many languages.

I like mine, but accept it for what it is.

Show me Pepin using one to make an average steak a great steak, and I will reconsider.

[Chris Hennes]

That is not correct: see this post by nathanm for the difference between Jaccard and cube steak.

[ethermion]

Not correct, eh? I own one of them, a 3 row by 16 unit Jaccard branded unit. Either you do not notice a difference, or you get cube steak. And it tends to smash the meat if you effectively get the blades into the meat. Commercial houses may use something different, but the hand held Jaccard that I have makes cube steaks.

[nickrey]

It must be something in technique/the steak you use/how thick it is that leads to you making cube steak.

Many of us have a different experience from you using the same equipment.

[ethermion]

Certainly could be wrong, but that is my experience. The instructions, as best I recall were quite clear. Place on top of meat, push. Wash after use. That's what I do. I'm all ears for new ideas.

[Chris Hennes]

And it tends to smash the meat if you effectively get the blades into the meat.

From this description, I'd guess that the blades aren't sharp, for whatever reason. If it's smashing the meat then I agree, you'll wind up with something like a cube steak. The real magic of the jaccard, and what makes it different from other mechanical tenderizers, is the way it cleanly slices the fibers of the meat without tearing.

[Alex]

OK, I see that Jaccard makes this one, in a 1x16 or 3x16 configuration and a white handle, and this one, in a 1x15 or 3x15 configuration and a differently shaped black handle. Is there any practical difference between the handles? Also, for a very occasional user, will the one-column version be adequate or should I still opt for the three-column?

[nickrey]

Because I freeze a lot of my meat, I quite often use it on meat that is mostly but not fully defrosted. Because the meat has a bit more solidity, it seems to cope very well with the Jaccarding.

I suppose it is a bit like the partial freezing that is sometimes recommend to make it easy to slice beef very thin for Asian stir fries.

[ElsieD]

Chris, I read through all the posts on the link in your post. Lots of good info both there and here. Thanks to all of you who responded. I have one further question - the black one looks as though it comes apart for easy cleaning or is that an illusion? I am cooking a strip loin tonight from Costco (Canada)and will check to see if it has been jaccarded (if I can make out the holes, that is). Is this tool a good one for using on other meats that you want to marinate or are the holes too small? I'm thinking chicken, pork tenderloions and such. Thanks again.

[Chris Amirault]

Took the plunge and now have a 48 blade Jaccard tenderizer here on the desk. I'm now wondering about specifics regarding practice:

• When do you Jaccard the meat relative to cooking?
  
• What sorts of meat do you and don't you Jaccard?
  
• Does the cooking process (grilling, sauteing, SV/LTLT cooking) change whether or not you Jaccard?
  
• Do the claims about increased marinade absorption ("up to 600%") and decreased cooking time ("up to 40%") pan out?
  

[nickrey]

I can only comment on a few of the questions Chris.

Because I don't tend to marinate the meat, I jaccard just prior to cooking.

Does it decrease the cooking time? I have overcooked more Jaccarded meat than non-Jaccarded meat when grilling because it accelerates the cooking.

Edited August 9, 2010 by nickrey (log)

[nathanm]

This topic is, of course, treated at length in my upcoming book , so that is one way to find out all about it .

We find that Jaccarding is best done prior to cooking - either immediately, or prior to marinading or brining.

With sous vide cooked meat it works very well with tough cuts - for example short rib, flat iron, hanger steak. Even if you are going to cook them for a long time (12 ot 48 hours) there is a benefit.

Meat that is jaccarded is significantly more juicy, as discussed in posts above.

I don't have figures on increase marination uptake. The key advantage is not the increased absorption is is getting the marinade deeper than it would otherwise get. Vacuum tumbling or infusion helps this further.

Decreased cooking time is an odd claim. If you are doing fast cooking (like grilling) there is a benefit in tenderness, but no change in cooking time. If you are doing long slow SV cooking, then to get the same tenderness you probably don't have to cook as long, but the effect is not exactly the same and we don't have precise figures.

[Chris Amirault]

So here are the claims, in all their marketing-ese glory:

The razor sharp stainless steel knives create tiny "heat channels" within the meat, allowing heat to penetrate more quickly... reducing cooking time by up to 40%. These tiny "heat channels" also allow marinades to be fully absorbed into the meat in as little as 5 minutes... eliminating the need for meat to soak overnight.

Up to 40% less time on the heat means less loss of natural flavors, juices, and marinades. The tiny "heat channels" incrase the absorption of liquid marinade by up to 600% and promote uniform cooking throughout even the most uneven cuts of meat. The pathways also allow chicken, turkey, and other poultry to self-baste, creating juicier meat and crispier skin.

All bold formatting, references to "heat channels," and needless ellipses theirs.

Nathan, can you say a bit more about brining? Specifically, do you see a reduction in brining time? Given the ease of overbrining but the temptation of being able to reduce brining times for large hams and so on, it seems another particularly important issue.

[nathanm]

The heat channel theory they propose seems very unlikely to me. We have not noticed this, nor is there any reason to think it should be true. Perhaps there is a small amount of fluid flow in the channels, but that is the only way I could think of it working, and even then it seems very unlikely to be a large effect. Testing it is possible but would be quite a chore.

Normally a marinade or a brine has to soak through the meat, which takes time. It takes a very long time to penetrate a thick piece of meat with a marinade or brine. Country hams are cured for MONTHS because of this. There are a couple ways to fix this. Injection of the marinade or brine is one way. Vacuum tumbling is another. Jaccard is a third way. All of them tend to decrease the time to penetrate to a certain depth. In a big chunk of meat like a ham or a pork shoulder we often do all three - jaccard, inject then vacuum tumble. It speeds things up quite a bit.

Jaccarding by itself without vacuum tumbling will speed things up but by a smaller amount. We have some suggested times and concentrations in the book - I don't have that chapter handy at the moment - Chris is working on it.

[runwestierun]

I've had the 48 blade Jaccard for a few years and have given at least a dozen as gifts. I love it. I take the meat from the fridge and jaccard it before I let it warm up. I Jaccard the meat in a pattern that matches the way the 3 rows of blades are fixed on my device--if the rows are 7mm apart and I punch down, then I place the next punch 7mm above the first one. This is the way I've found I am able to tenderize the most without flattening out the meat.

I also try not to go all the way through the meat. I Jaccard one side, then flip the meat over and Jaccard the other side with the blade strikes at a 90 degree turn from the first side. I do this for maximum tenderizing and also to save the blades. I found that if I am pressing through the meat onto the board I tend to bend the slender blades.

One note on cleaning the Jaccard: you can buy a Jaccard that is one piece (bad) or you can buy a Jaccard that has a cassette of blades that is removable for cleaning (good). You can completely clean the Jaccard holes if you can remove the blades. The latter is an infinite improvement on the former.

I do believe Jaccarding reduces marinade absorption time, esp if I use a tumbler. I also like the results from Jaccarding the meat, oiling it and rubbing it with aromatics and letting it sit to warm up.

I have done exhaustive personal experiments with the Jaccard, enough so that I even am embarassed by my geekiness. But I love the thing. One thing I have noticed is that the tenderness of the meat depends somewhat on the angle of the blade's penetration into the meat. If you Jaccard a NY strip perpendicular to the face of the steak it will be more tender than if you Jaccard it from the side while it is still a roast and then cut it into steaks.

[Pam Brunning]

Can anyone tell me where I can get a 48 blade one in the UK?

[runwestierun]

Pam,

I made a mistake. The Jaccard brand needler with the removable blade cassette that I have has 45 blades, not 48. This is the Jaccard:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jaccard-Simply-Better-Tenderizer-Stainless/dp/B000A3G0F6/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2

This is a knock off:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/meat-steak-tenderiser-tenderizer-needles/dp/B003CF3H32/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2

I don't know how they compare. I was given an 18 blade cheapo knock off and it sucked.

This is the 48 blade Jaccard. It doesn't have removable blades so it's much harder to clean.

http://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6/ref=pd_sbs_k_1

Both are available at Amazon here in the USA if you can't find them in stock in the UK. I really love the removable blade feature. It's easy to clean the gunk out of the holes the blades pop out of. You just take the Jaccard apart and put it in the dishwasher.

[jsager01]

i bought mine on ebay.nl, but i suppose you can find it on ebay.co.uk as well.

The link (i am not sure if i am allowed to post links) is http://shop.ebay.nl/i.html?LH_PrefLoc=2&_kw=jaccard&_kw=Meat&_kw=Tenderizer - and it lists several vendors with different pricing, all based in US.

I placed an order with Andy Ahrens (seller) A&L International, whose website is mykitchco.com. The Jaccard Pro Meat Tenderizer 45 Stainless Steel blades with stainless steel columns costs me US28.99 and US$5.99 for postage. It arrived in about 4 working days, if i remember correctly.

However, it arrived with the 'plastic' columns (not stainless steel), so i emailed the vendor to point out the error. Within 24 hrs i had a response apologising for the mistake, and saying that i do not have to return what i had received and that they will send me a replacement with SS columns. I asked for the 15 blade as replacement, Just as quickly the vendor replied no problem. I do not buy much over the internet, and i was not expecting such good service.

go check jaccard.com to get the latest models and detailed info.

good luck

[Chris Amirault]

I just got this Jaccard tenderizer despite my own doubts. Like ethermion, I feared that it would create gashes and bruise the flesh. But on the two pork chops I was preparing for the Sous Vide Supreme tonight, it didn't happen: easy in, easy out. As reported elsewhere, not at all like cube steak.

[runwestierun]

OK, I see that Jaccard makes this one, in a 1x16 or 3x16 configuration and a white handle, and this one, in a 1x15 or 3x15 configuration and a differently shaped black handle. Is there any practical difference between the handles? Also, for a very occasional user, will the one-column version be adequate or should I still opt for the three-column?

Alex,

I have owned both the white handled and black handled Jaccards. The black handled ones are vastly superior in my mind because the cassette of blades is removable for cleaning. You remove the blades and pop the blade cassette and the plastic housing in dishwasher. The white one requires meticulous microscrubbing, and I was never convinced it was truly clean.

I would go for the 45 blade black one, that's my favorite. The rows of blades seem to be the ideal width apart and I try to match that separation when I move the jaccard over for another cut. If you just keep mashing and mashing and mashing on the meat, it will spread.

I also don't go quite all the way through the meat, I stop short of the board and then flip the meat and Jaccard the other side, but with the blades at 90 degrees to the cuts on the first side. Stopping short of the board protects the blades from dullness and bending, they are delicate. I've found that if I stop short of the board the Jaccard lasts much longer than if I don't. I've wrecked 3, but I use them very heavily. Two were Jaccard brands, and one was what I call the Crappard. Do not buy imitations.

[Paul Bacino]

Thoughts?

I plan on salting my steak before I cook it.. then Jaccarding it. This is a strip steak.. the intentions is to get some salt in the interior of my steak and cut a few muscle fibers. This happens to be wagyu beef cut.

Experiments are fun..

Paul

Oh.. I started the thing in the wrong direction.. and my hand is a we bit sore.. yikes!!

Edited April 3, 2011 by Paul Bacino (log)

[avaserfi]

What is the goal of the experiment? Wagyu is typically pretty tender, did the jaccard increase this even further?

There is a pretty easy way to season the meat's interior with salt. Salt the steak on both sides and let it rest. After a few minutes osmosis will pull out liquid from the meat forming a brine with the salt, if given enough time this brine will be reabsorbed by the steak, about an hour in my experience. If you let the steak sit even longer (say overnight in a fridge) the brine will penetrate further into the steak seasoning the entire cut. This would more evenly season the meat compared to a jaccard forcing crystals into the meat unless you salted, jaccarded and let the meat rest.

I've used this technique for a while and was glad to see Serious Eats had a good write up recently: http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/the-food-lab-more-tips-for-perfect-steaks.html