P Mark Mustard Oil made its foray into television production with a cooking show called Mezbaan-e-Wazwan in collaboration with News 18. The show began airing on 6th October 2018 and continues till the first week of November. The series features authentic Wazwan recipes, techniques and methods demonstrated by two highly respected chefs: Chef Harpal Sokhi of Turban Tadka and Namak Shamak fame, and Chef Abbas Bhat – an expert in authentic Wazwan preparations.
In the course of the series, the two expert chefs shared many interesting tips and tricks – in particular, some innovative ways to soften meat before cooking. We all know what a damper it is to have a delicious meat dish where the meat is all tough and chewy. Well, here are three techniques that Wazwan chefs (Wazas) use to make the meat soft before starting the cooking process.
The first technique involves a special walnut-wood mallet known as Tukni. The meat is placed on a stone slab and is hammered steadily with this mallet. This action breaks the muscle fibres and softens the meat into a pulpy texture.
The second method is to use a large kitchen knife to place a series of cuts and slices across the meat – always making sure to cut across the muscle fibres. These cuts enable heat to penetrate deeper into the meat as a result of which, the meat cooks faster and becomes softer.
The third technique is a bit time-consuming. The meat is boiled for an hour on a slow flame. This slow steady heating process breaks down the tough fibres, collagens and tissues, making the meat soft and tender; it becomes softer still when the boiled meat is further cooked while making the dish.
There you have it – three simple but highly useful secrets… taught to you by expert chefs.