Step 1:
Make your marinade
What exactly is a marinade? At its most elemental, it's any mixture you soak a piece of meat in to enhance flavor. Most marinades consist of three basic elements: - An acid: This could be anything from lemon juice to vinegar to wine to tomato sauce. The acid in these liquids breaks down the fibrous elements in the meat, tenderizing the cut and allowing the flavors of the marinade to penetrate below the surface.
- An oil: Olive oil, canola oil, corn oil, you name it. Oil moisturizes the meat, and conveys the flavors into the meat fibers. Most marinades use oil, though if it's a fatty cut, such as pork shoulder or salmon, you can sometimes forgo the oil and let the meat moisturize itself.
- Seasonings: If you thought you had a lot of leeway with the acid and the oil, hold on tight, because with seasonings there are no limits. Lemon rind, rosemary, hot chilies, garlic, sage, sugar, savory, you name it. Consider any spice that might enhance the cut, any splash that might improve the flavor. Honey, fish paste, peanut butter, mustard, prune juice and even soda pop are popular choices.
When you're first starting out, you can find recipes for marinades in almost any cookbook or on the Internet. Once you get the hang of it, though, the fun lies in inventing your own. What's in the cupboard? What would complement the meat you plan to serve? For a trout fillet, you might opt for white wine, garlic, olive oil and thyme. Don't have wine? Then use a nice beer. The measurements, frankly, can be done by eye. Use what you learned from the recipes to begin creating your own combinations. If it's your first time, don't overdo it. Less can be more in a marinade, and the more seasonings you add (particularly strong ones like salt or hot chilies), the less you'll be able to taste each one individually.
Here's a chart that can give you a sense of what flavors can work for different kinds of meat. Pick one acid and one oil for each dish, and a few seasonings that might work well together.
| Meat |
Acids |
Oils |
Seasonings |
| chicken |
white or red wine, lager, lemon, lime, champagne vinegar |
olive oil, canola oil, corn oil |
oregano, basil, tarragon, saffron, paprika, chili peppers, garlic, chives |
| white fish (flounder, trout, etc.) |
lemon or lime juice, white wine, fresh tomatoes, lager
beer |
same |
thyme, garlic, lemon pepper, scallions |
| steaky fish (salmon, tuna, etc.) |
orange juice, ale |
same |
tarragon, ginger, mustard, dill, horseradish |
| pork |
malt vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine, tomatoes, ale |
olive oil, sesame oil |
sage, fish paste, Worchestershire sauce, garlic, soy sauce, hot pepper, honey |
| beef |
balsamic vinegar, red wine, stout, tomatoes |
olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil |
oregano, rosemary, garlic, spicy mustard, hot pepper, soy sauce, honey, maple syrup, yeast extract |
Combine your ingredients in a glass jar or bowl, and mix. Shake it if you have a tight-fitting lid. Then let it sit. The longer the marinade sits, the more the flavors will combine. Ideally, you should make your marinade at least an hour before you apply it to your meat. Remember, you can store most marinades in the fridge in a closed container for up to a month.
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