Spanish Phrase
Hace que los cortes duros queden tiernos.
Meaning
It means “It makes the tough cuts become tender.” The sentence is often used in cooking contexts to describe a technique or ingredient that softens otherwise hard pieces of meat.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to explain how a cooking method, seasoning, or tool transforms tough cuts of meat into a tender, juicy result. It works well in recipes, cooking classes, or casual kitchen conversations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Hacequeloscortesdurosquedentiernos
Causative construction "hacer que"
"Hacer que" expresses causing something to happen and is always followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood.
Subjunctive after "que"
When "que" introduces a clause after "hacer que", the verb must be in the present subjunctive (quedar → queden).
Adjective agreement
Adjectives agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify: "cortes duros" and "tiernos".
Verb "quedar" meaning "to become"
In this context, "quedar" means "to end up" or "to become" and is conjugated as "queden" in the subjunctive.
🗨In Conversation
¿Cómo logras que la carne quede tan suave?
How do you make the meat get so tender?
Uso una marinada que hace que los cortes duros queden tiernos.
I use a marinade that makes the tough cuts become tender.
✕Common Mistakes
Hace que los cortes duros quedan tiernos.
After "hacer que" the verb must be in the subjunctive, not the indicative.
Hace los cortes duros queden tiernos.
The conjunction "que" is required after "hace" to introduce the subjunctive clause.
Hace que los cortes duros quedaran tiernos.
Use the present subjunctive "queden" for a present/future result, not the imperfect subjunctive "quedaran".
↔Alternatives
Hace que la carne dura se vuelva tierna.
It makes the tough meat turn tender.
Logra que los trozos duros se vuelvan blandos.
It makes the hard pieces become soft.
Con esta técnica, los cortes duros quedan tiernos.
With this technique, the tough cuts become tender.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, cooking tough cuts (like "falda", "jarrete" or "espaldilla") is a culinary art. Techniques such as slow‑cooking, marinating with acidic ingredients, or using a pressure cooker are common, and native speakers often use the construction "hacer que" to explain how these methods transform the meat.