Papaya Juice

• Papain, the most common ingredient in meat tenderizers, is a dry powdered form of papaya, which is a tropical fruit commonly sold in juice form in many grocery stores. If you need to tenderize a steak fast and don't have the powder, rummage around for papaya juice. Set the uncooked meat in a shallow baking dish and pour about 8 oz. of juice over it. Allow the meat to marinate in the juice, turning a few times, for about 20 minutes.
  
  

Pineapple Juice

• Another substitution for meat tenderizer that's even more common than papaya juice and works equally well is pineapple juice. Prepare the meat by placing it in a shallow baking dish. Drain the pineapple juice from a large can of fresh sliced pineapple and pour it over the meat. Turn the meat a few times, cover and allow the meat to marinate, refrigerated, for about 20 minutes.
  
  

Meat Mallets

• If you don't want the sweetness that comes from marinating your meat in fruit juice, use a wooden or metal meat mallet to tenderize the meat by hand. While it takes more effort than sprinkling powder or pouring juice, you can achieve the same result, and in less time. Gently pound the meat, focusing on the toughest areas with the spiked side of the mallet, creating tiny indentations in the meat. Then, turn the mallet over and gently pound the meat further with the smooth side of the mallet. Continue this process on all cuts of meat until you reach the desired tenderness.
  
  

Slow Cooking

• Slow cooking meat in a crockpot or broiling meat covered in a roasting pan in the oven on low heat is an alternative method for preparing meat so that it is tender, juicy and succulent when finished. Cook the meat slowly over eight to 10 hours on low heat surrounded by vegetables and sprinkled with herbs and spices to create a tender cut that can be used for pulled sandwiches, stews and more.