Types and
Purpose
There are
two purposes for marinades. One is
for tenderizing, while the other is for flavor enhancement. You can
prepare dry,
paste or liquid marinades.
Marinades
that are acid based will tenderize
and add flavor to all types of food, not just seafood and meat. Acids
from
citrus fruits, yogurt, pineapple, wine, and buttermilk will tenderize
your food
by unwinding the strings in your protein. This also adds flavor.
Marinades that
contain oils will penetrate deeper and more quickly into your foods.
Extra-virgin olive oil makes a wonderful base for dozens of marinade
recipes.
To enhance
the flavor, cooks use rubs or dry
marinades. Although some rubs may be beneficial for tenderizing, the
main
reason for dry marinades and rubs is for flavor enhancement. The dry
marinades
can be mixed with oil, which is rubbed into the seafood, poultry, or
meat. Most
dry rubs are used when broiling, pan-frying, or barbecuing.
Flat cuts
of meat work best for tenderizing
marinades. Larger roasts will only be penetrated so far, leaving you
with a tough
center, and a mushy exterior. Even if you puncture the meat for
penetration,
you will get an uneven result. When marinating for tenderizing, place
your meat
in a large, heavy zip-lock bag. Squeeze out the air, and turn
often.
When
marinating with acidic or enzymatic
ingredients, made sure that you use glass, stainless steel or ceramic
as
aluminum will cause a chemical reaction leaving a discoloration. The
marinade
could also damage your aluminum container.
Average
Marinating Time
The longer
you leave your food in the
marinade, the more flavors it will have. With that being said,
marinating time
will depend on the size of your ingredients and the marinade that you
use.
As a
general guide, marinate beef, pork and
lamb for two to four hours, whole roasts four to six hours or
overnight. Poultry
fillets, wings, drumsticks and cutlets two to four hours, and a whole
chicken
four to six hours or overnight. Seafood like squid, octopus, and prawns
should
be marinated for one to two hours, while whole fish, fillets, and steak
take
two to four hours. Never marinade for more than two or four days, as
your
marinade will not destroy bacteria. As a rule of thumb only marinate
for as long
as the meat would remain fresh without marinating in your
refrigerator.
Safety in
handling
proteins and marinades
If you are
marinating fish, be sure and
discard the marinade after use as it contains the raw juice from the
fish.
Never reuse marinade as it could be contaminated. If you do want to
reuse your marinade,
make sure that you boil it for at least five minutes before you use it
again.
Never
baste meat or vegetables on the grill
with the marinade or raw juice as it could be contaminated.
Before you
add your food to the marinade, wash your hands with soap and
water.
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