How To Mince Loads Of Garlic In Seconds Using This Handy Kitchen Tool (Not A Garlic Press)

Now there is something satisfying about smashing garlic with the side of a knife like a pro, but there's only so many cloves you can do like that before your wrist starts to hurt. And then of course there's garlic presses, but they're actually one of the worst ways to mince garlic. It's not without reasons: They're hard to clean, they break easily, and they smush the cloves into pulp, leaving half of your garlic inside. No wonder they are the kitchen gadget that Alton Brown despises. So let us introduce a fully underrated solution for your garlic mincing needs: a meat tenderizer. More specifically, the flat side of one. That solid and heavy surface can turn a load of garlic cloves into garlic paste in just a few seconds.

To make it work, simply take the garlic you need, peel it, lay the cloves on a cutting board, and firmly press down on them with the flat end of the tenderizer which will cause them to burst open. Do it again, but now with a little more pressure, and after a few go's, you'll have some fantastically crushed-up garlic with nothing wasted.

The meat tenderizer is a fantastically simple and effective way to mince a lot of garlic when a recipe calls for a full bulb (or two). And the final product isn't quite the same as minced garlic, or even sliced garlic, because when garlic is fully crushed like this, it has a much stronger bite to it. It will also burn more easily than big slices of garlic, so don't add it to the pan too early if you're frying it off. A really smart move for some perfectly crushed garlic would be to add in a pinch of salt and mix it up to create a nice paste, which will break the garlic down a bit more and mellow out the flavor. From there you can even eat it raw: Spread it straight onto toast or stir it into mayo or any other sauce or dressing you're making.

Crushed garlic is also a secret weapon for marinades — whisk it into some olive oil with lemon and a bit of mustard and you've got an instant chicken or tofu marinade that packs some big garlicky flavor, without a rouge piece of sliced garlic getting stuck to the protein and burning during cooking. Or you can simply stir crushed garlic into butter with fresh herbs and slather it all onto a loaf for a homemade garlic bread that is guaranteed to impress. The list goes on, because there are a lot of ways to use crushed garlic to its full potential, but first use a meat tenderizer for guaranteed results.