Why Marinade?
Whilst it may seem less hassle and time consuming to simply put your meat in the oven or under the grill, the benefits of planning ahead and spending a little extra time to season and marinade your meat far out way the inconvenience.
FLAVOUR
One of the most enticing reasons to marinade your meat is the flavour that it will give your dish. A good marinade will be packed with herbs and spices and may also be acidic. It is essential that you choose the right flavoured marinade so as to compliment the meat. Turn or stir the meat once or twice during marinating so as to ensure that all of the meat is covered. For flavour purposes you can use dry mariandes as well as wet ones. Seasonings, rubs, powders are all excellent for this. You could always drizzle some oil, lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar or alcohol over the meat after you have seasoned it. This makes for just as good a marinade as a liquid version.
TENDER
In order for a marinade to have tenderising properties, it must contain acidic ingredients. These may be vinegar, citric fruit juices, yoghurt or alcohol. This acid acts by breaking down the protein chains within the meat, therefore making it tender. By doing this it opens up passages through which flavours can seep into. You do however need to ensure that you do not let food sit in marinades for too long. If the marinating process is too long you run the risk of either making your meat soft and mushy or too tough (depending on the meat), neither of which will give you the texture you desire. Did you know that fish and seafood, can actually cook, in an acidic environment? This is a prime example of what acid can do to your food, so don’t marinade for longer than you need to. Please refer to our guidelines below.
MOIST
Many marinades contain some kind of oil, which is required to hold the moisture into the meat. One of the healthiest oils is olive oil. The best oil to use is a light oil containing mono- and/or diglycerides. This oil will usually come from soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, or palm oil. These natural emulsifiers help penetrate meats faster than other oils. The result will be a really juicy piece of meat! Have you ever thought of pushing seasoned butter under the skin of a chicken? This is a really nice way of turning a boring roast chicken into a moist, flavourful meal. Using your fingers, seperate the skin from the chicken breast very gently. Then gradually insert a wet marinade or flavoured butter under the skin. Pushing it down gently so as to cover the whole breast. We have a fantastic recipe for Jerk Butter, try it next Sunday and let us know what you think.
You also need to consider the container you use. marinating can be done in a glass, ceramic or stainless steel container. Cover the meat with the marinade and cover. You could also use food storage bags. Place the meat in the bag, pour the marinade on top and give it a shake. Never use copper or aluminium containers! These will react with the acid in the marinade and will discolour your food and the container. Remember, always store your food in the refrigerator during marination, this will prevent the growth of bacteria.
As previously mentioned the time period for marination is relative to the meat being used. Some meats such as fish and chicken will take a lot less time than pork or beef. This is because the muscle structure in say chicken, is not as dense as it is in beef. The marinade therefore needs more time to penetrate the meat.
Smaller pieces of meat will take less time, while large chops and joints will take a lot longer. Scoring or puncturing joints may enhance the marinating process and allow the ingredients to penetrate the meat rather than just remain on the surface. Remember when roasting or grilling, some of the marinade can be kept aside and be used to baste the meat whilst cooking. Never use the marinade that you used on the raw meat as this will now contain harmful bacteria. Keep some aside before marinating the meat.
Why not try using Tropical Fresh’s exciting seasoning, rubs and curry powders to create exciting marinades and wonderful tasty meals.
