Today's Kool Idea: Deni Meat Tenderizer, aka The Blade Machine

With today's food prices skyrocketing, more and more of us are forced to buy less expensive cuts of meat to feed our families. These cuts of meat, such as a flank steak (london broil) or top round, also tend to be a bit on the healthier side...less marbling from fat makes a leaner steak. Okay, so we've saved some money, and taken a step towards a healthier lifestyle...now what do we do about the rough, chewy texture that goes hand-in-hand with these cuts? Come on...fat is good, right? How can we possibly get a moist, flavorful steak without it?

Your answer? A meat tenderizer, of course! Wait a minute...do we mean one of those mallets that look like a hammer with rows of small pyramid spikes on the ends? Nah...those things are pretty ineffective, at least in our experience...good for pounding out some frustrations, though. But, if you want a steak that doesn't look like it came out the loser in a street fight, check out this unbelievable meat tenderizer from Deni, aptly referred to as The Blade Machine . Not only does this product improve the flavor and texture of beef, but also on gamier meats such as venison or pheasant. Plus, it hastens the cooking and marinating times of your meat, whether you are preparing beef, poultry, or even fish. Finally, it reduces shrinkage during cooking, so your meat will retain most of it's original pre-cooked size.

There are two versions of The Blade Machine...one with 16, razor-sharp, stainless-steel prongs, and one with 48. This is one solidly made, serious "must-have" tool for every kitchen. Use it to tenderize food for any cooking method...works equally well whether you're baking, grilling, broiling, braising or roasting. You can even use this tenderizer to pierce whole roasts, chickens or turkeys. For safe storage, the product comes with a plastic cover to contain the super-sharp blades. The Blade Machine is dishwasher safe; however, The Daily Kool recommends hand-washing to ensure that all meat particles are removed from the blades before the next use.

The Blade Machine meat tenderizer by Deni makes our steaks delicious even when simply broiled with some low-sodium soy sauce poured on top. However, for those of you who prefer to marinade your beef, we have given you a simple recipe to try. We at The Daily Kool prefer our chicken marinaded, so we have provided you with a recipe for that as well. Remember, though...you don't have to marinade more than an hour or two to get robust flavor when you use this product. Enjoy!

Simple Steak Marinade
1/4 cup steak sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (packed)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Marinade in refrigerator, turning once or twice.

Chicken Marinade
1 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons mayo (or Miracle Whip)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon each of salt, pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons thyme (or poultry seasoning, depending on your preference)

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl. Combine with chicken and marinade in refrigerator for 15 minutes to 1/2 hour. This makes a lot of marinade, depending on how much chicken you're making...feel free to take half and freeze it for another time.