Certain recipes call for meat to be pounded, which helps it to cook quickly and evenly and stretches how far it goes in a meal. Here are some tips for how to pound poultry safely and without mess.
The first thing you want to do is set up a safe work area to stop the raw meat juices from splattering. Raw meat juice can carry harmful bacteria and can make your family very sick. Avoid this by sealing up your meat first in parchment or wax paper before you pound it.
To do this, lay down a sheet of wax or parchment paper on a raw meat-designated cutting board and place your boneless, skinless poultry breast on top. Cover the meat with a second sheet of paper. You can also use plastic wrap or a re-sealable plastic bag if that's what you have on hand.
Take a kitchen mallet or the bottom of a heavy saucepan and hit the centre of the meat with a medium amount of force, pushing out as you finish the swing. This outward motion helps spread the chicken to an even thickness and the force helps to break the cells and release moisture in the meat for quicker cooking time. You can watch how to do this in the video here.
Repeat the motion until the meat is flattened to ΒΌ inch thick and cook as directed. Remember to wash your hands and sanitize your knife and cutting board immediately after pounding to avoid contaminating your other food.
Try this technique out in any of these delicious recipes.
