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Author: Chef Ssentongo Geoffrey

How to Make a Marinade

Learn how to master the basic building blocks of a successful marinade.

A fantastic grilled dish, like grilled marinated Ribeyes, starts with a fantastic marinade but too many people begin with bottled sauces and dressings. The result: Every steak tastes the same. Why follow the crowd when it’s so easy to make your own marinade? There are three basic elements that go into a great marinade; once you know how they work together, you can create your own delicious blends for your own signature dishes.

The Secret to a Homemade Marinade

So , what are the basic elements ? Simple:

* Fat

* Acid

* Flavor

There’s also a fourth — sweetness — that gets it’s own separate honorable mention, but let’s start with those three.

FAT

For fat, read oil . You want your marinade to get on all the surfaces of your meat . Oil holds everything together, clings to the meat and ensures even coverage. Oil also becomes infused with the flavors that you add, so the flavors cover the entire cut of meat, even if the individual flavor elements clump.

When it comes to your oil, don’t be tempted to overspend. The appeal of most of the expensive oils is the delicacy of their flavor and that won’t stand up to the heat of the grill. Go with basic extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil or any of your choice.learn which oil is best for your next recipe.

ACID

Acid is One of the flavors the test experts use to take a dish from good to great.you can use vinegar, citrus juice, wine or dairy. Dairy is actually One of the only acids that will tenderize meat; otherwise, keep in mind that marinade is about flavor.

An acid —whether it’s lemon juice, balsamic vinegar,beer or sour cream, adds a bright , tangy note to your marinade. When mixing up the base, you’ll need about 3 parts oil to one part whatever acid you’re using, pretty much the same ratio as for a homemade vinaigrette.

FLAVOR

Seasonings and spices come next. It’s tempting to throw everything into a marinade, but too much spice can kill your dish. Choose a few central ingredients that will complement each other and enhance the flavor of whatever it is you’re marinating.

There are some food and spice pairings every cook should know.

When adding your seasonings, remember to go light on the salt.salt pulls out moisture from meat and poultry,and the longer it sits in a too-salty marinade,the more likely to have a dry piece of meat when you’re done.

SWEETNESS

You can also play around with sweetness, adding ingredients like honey, molasses or sugar. Sweet marinades can make a lovely crunchy, caramelized crust. Just remember that sweet will burn more quickly than not sweet, so keep an eye on your grill.

Directions

Making a marinade is simple.in a bowl, whisk your fat and acidic ingredients together. Add your choice of seasonings. Then, place your meat in a zip- top bag or airtight container, pour in the marinade and seal it up . Shake to coat all sides of the meat.place in the fridge until ready to grill.

How long to Marinate Different Meats?

Just like how the techniques for cooking different meats vary , so does the marinating time.

Chicken: For best flavor and texture, it’s recommended to marinate chicken for 5 to 6 hours.

Beef: Beef needs a bit longer. It’s recommended to marinate beef for 12 to 24 hours.

Lamb: marinate lamb for at least 6 hours and no more than that.

Pork: For best flavor and texture, marinate pork for 1 hour.

Tips on How to Make a Marinade

Once you’ve built your marinade, it’s pretty clear sailing. But there are also a few rules that you should remember.

Add Herbs

As with so many other cooking processes, fresh herbs are great for this, basil, mint, rosemary, sage. Choose an herb or herb mix that goes well with the meat you’re flavoring. Use a full handful, and chop it up to release the flavors.

Don’t Overdo it

Leaving a piece of meat in a marinade too long does not make it tender, it makes it mushy . Keep in mind the more acidic the marinade,the less time it should soak . vegetables shouldn’t be left to marinate for more than 30 minutes, and just 10 minutes will do it for fish and soft veggies like zucchini and summer squash.

Keep it cool

If you cooked your marinade ( not necessary,but sometimes it can help to blend the flavors) , let it cool before pouring it over your meat.

Do not keep your used marinade

This is important. once your meat is done soaking in a marinade, throw that marinade away it is not safe to use. When you first make the marinade, divide it in half and save half to use for basting or making a pan sauce.

Also, Try These Marinated Recipes to Get Started