In cooking, tenderizing's a process to break down collagens in meat to make it more palatable for consumption. There're three basic forms: Mechanical tenderization, such as pounding. The tenderization that occurs through cooking, such as braising. Tenderizers in the form of naturally occurring enzymes, which can be added to food before cooking. Examples of enzymes used for tenderizing : papain from papaya and bromelain from pineapple.… (More on Tenderizing)