NewYorkFirst.com: Jaccard Meat Tenderizer

My Dinner with Andre.

In his native Switzerland, Andre Jaccard earned the title of "master," the highest award for excellence in foodservice. Before coming to America he owned three meat processing plants where he designed and built some of the most innovative equipment for the culinary industry.

We meet for dinner at his favorite restaurant. He suggests we try the locally-raised venison steak, an inspired choice although usually gamey and tough.

Over the years there have been many ways to tenderize tough cuts of meat. In a pinch, chefs have used anything from heavy saucepans to wine bottles to break up tendons and muscles. But the easiest and best device is the lightweight, hand-held mechanical tenderizer invented by Mr. Jaccard and manufactured at his factory in upstate, New York.

There is hardly a restaurant kitchen that does not use the tool, known by most as simply, the Jaccard. Just press the 48 razor-sharp stainless-steel blades into the meat multiple times to loosten it and break the connective tissue that makes meat tough. The fine incisions create tiny heat channels, reducing cooking time and letting marinade penetrate deeper. Light pressure pushes the three rows of blades downward; they then retract to a safe position.

Our steaks arrive. They cut like butter. They chew like filet mignon. They are juicy and flavorful. "The venison," says my companion proudly, "it has been Jaccardized!"

Mr. Jaccard's Mandolin.
Unlike food processors, the mandolin slicer developed by Andre Jaccard allows precise control over the texture and size of every cut. It's like running your food through a knife instead of running a knife through your food, producing attractive, uniform vegetable and fruit slices, as well as garnishes for your dinner plates and hors d'oeuvres trays.

The professional-kitchen Jaccard stainless-steel model is more versatile and durable than any other. It's very easy to use, and preferred by many cooks for simplicity of design, especially when a limited number of thickness settings are acceptable. Insert one of the 7 different size cartridges for julienne, ripple or straight slices.

An enclosed safety holder grips and pushes food, protecting hands and fingers from sharp blades. It features one of the largest cubic capacities in the industry, consisting of a base and a two-piece telescoping top that easily disassembles for easy clean-up in the dishwasher. (Dimensions: 16-inches x 5-inches)

New York Steakhouse Marinade.
Most of us relish the added flavor and pizzaz of marinated meats - to say nothing of the tenderizing effect. Direct from Ben Benson's comes a full-bodied marinade in a rich tomato base with brown sugar, molasses, anchovies, onions, garlic, tamarind, and grated horseradish roots. The delectable marinade seeps deeply into every corner of a robust cut of meat and creates a glaze on the outside.