Minced garlic on a plate – Miniimage/Shutterstock
Finely mincing garlic is a common requirement in a variety of dishes from garlic aioli to savory stir-fries. Because of this, cooks have sought out and used many tools to achieve the perfect mincemeat. Garlic presses, electronic mincers and good old-fashioned knives are staples in kitchens everywhere. Yet, among these traditional tools, an unexpected alternative emerges – the meat tenderizer.
It’s not the first thing you think of, but a meat tenderizer works perfectly as a garlic dispenser, especially if you need a lot of cloves for your dish. Additionally, it is much easier to use than a knife given how small and oddly shaped the garlic cloves are, which means that chopping them with a blade becomes a slightly more difficult task. And even though it’s easy to resort to store-bought minced garlic, especially in today’s fast-paced world, any culinary lover will attest that fresh minced garlic brings a vibrancy to dishes that previously lacked Packaged garlic may not match at all.
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How to Finely Mince Your Garlic Using a Meat Tenderizer
Meat tenderizer on white background – Stoutasendo/Shutterstock
Start by peeling the garlic cloves. Whether you need one or 10, this method can accommodate your recipe. Place them in a standard plastic bag – the kind you usually keep your sandwiches in. Make sure there is little air trapped before sealing it, then place it on a flat, sturdy surface. Alternatively, you can use plastic wrap and fold it to hold the cloves.
With your trusty meat tenderizer in hand, begin gently pounding the cloves. The idea is to break them up without completely breaking them up – unless, of course, your recipe calls for garlic paste, in which case do so! As you tap, you’ll see the cloves break apart, turning into a perfectly minced texture that’s often difficult to achieve even with a knife. The strength of the meat tenderizer combined with the protective layer of the plastic bag ensures precise fine cuts and prevents unnecessary mess.
Once you are satisfied with the consistency, you can simply open the bag and add your fresh minced garlic directly into the pan or bowl. No garlic-sticky fingers, no strong odor lingering on your skin, and definitely no little pieces of cloves flying around your kitchen. This method breaks down the garlic more effectively and extracts the intense flavor better. Result? A richer and more aromatic dish that will have everyone wondering about your secret ingredient.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
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