There are two reasons for marinating food: to impart flavor and to aid in tenderizing.
- Use non-reactive materials like glass bowls/container, ziplock bag or parchment paper to mix and store the meat with the marinade. Don’t use copper, aluminum or cast iron.
- There common ingredients in a marinade: acid (such as wine, lemon juice or vinegar), salt or alcohol.
- Don’t marinate food at room temperature for more than one hour.
- Marinades would usually contain an acid, a moisturizing agent and herbs + spices:
- Acid – Helps tenderize the food you are marinating. Examples of acids are: citrus fruit juice (lemon, lime and orange), red wine, white wine and vinegar.
- Moisturizing agents – Usually oil is used to retain the moisture and to reduce the moisture loss during cooking. Helps prevent sticking when cooking. Examples of such moisurizing agents are olive oil and coconut oil.
- Herbs and spices – ginger, garlic, paprika, tumeric, pepper, coriander, chilies, basil, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, bay leaves, tarragon, and many more.
- Never reuse marinade for another food.
- As a general guide, the duration needed for marinating are as follows:
Steak: 6 to 24 hours
Chicken, lamb and pork: 6 to 24 hours
Thick and fatty fish fillets: 1 hour
Thin and flaky fish fillets: 30 minutes
Shellfish: 20 minutes
Cheese, tofu, and vegetables: 30 minutes
Chapter: Food :: 12 August 2008
