Ghazal on Making Tender

I dig out a bag of meat—sliced rounds of beef rescued from an age
of freezer burn. Now I have to figure out how to make them tender.

There's no meat tenderizer among my kitchen tools. I can't pound pieces
on a cutting board, imagining my enemies, to make the fibers tender.

Home cooks' remedies include slathering the cuts with coarse salt, then
letting them rest an hour. They swear it makes even the cheapest cuts tender. 

Some say trim off any remaining gristle, and bed the meat in a tray of fruit
puree. Sweet turns sour. Enzymes from the fruit will make the meat tender.

I once read that a spoonful of baking soda in water can soften squid
before cooking. I wonder if the same could work to make meat tender.

If you can't grill, cut the beef into pieces; sear them and stew in a dutch
oven. It may take hours until at last, like melting grief, the meat is fork-tender.