Does anyone knows what is the best way to soften octopus when cooking?

Method I use is beating the octopus with a stick or a piece of flat wood, then boil it in plenty of water until soft. Discard the water and cut the meat up for further cooking e.g. in curries, salads etc..
:rolleyes:

I don't know about octopus, but I've used a meat tenderizer on tough steak and chicken before. I always just wrap the meat in plastic wrap then beat the poo out of it with the tenderizer until it's almost flat. The plastic wrap just helps keep food particles from spraying all over your kitchen. So, if you like things messy, the plastic wrap is optional!! LOL

The correct way to cook this is either sauté for a few minutes or cook for hours, there is no in-between. Either quick cook or long cook like in a stew or tomatoe sauce.

I just use the tentacles for calamari and bread and deep fry