Marinating Meat and Marinade preparation
Many meats are hard to chew and digest even when they are cooked well; they become tender and flavored when you marinate them in a well-prepared marinade. But marination doesn’t simply mean soaking the meat in the marinade and then getting to eat your favorite meat recipe. Marinate haphazardly and you’ve spoiled the meat beyond recovery.
There are certain dissolving enzymes in the marinade that help you soften your meat before you cook it. When you marinate meat the enzymes break down muscles and connective proteins that make it hard in the first place. But these muscles and proteins also hold back the juice in the meat and when they are disintegrated due to marination or some other natural process that juice is lost, leaving the meat harder than before, sometimes. You have to marinate your meat in such a manner that it remains succulent after it has been cooked.
Have you ever ended up with a mushy outer layer and a still-hard inner portion after having marinated your meat? This happens when you leave large chunks of meat in the marinade; for the chemical reaction to ensue, for the enzymes to do their job, direct contact with the marinade is very important. Even piercing your meat chunks with random holes doesn’t work properly. Flat, thin cuts of meat benefit most from tenderizing marinades; this way your meat becomes tender without losing its juice.
How to prepare a marinade:
Some people marinate their meat by keeping it soaked in a mixture of vinegar and water. Keep the amount of vinegar to the level of your palate – for instance, half-a-cup of vinegar diluted with water. You can also vary the amount according to the servings you are planning to prepare. If you don’t like vinegar you can also use lime, or wine for that matter; just make sure you like the taste of the wine you are using to prepare the marinade.
For an exotic touch of the Oriental you can add spices like clove, gram flour, turmeric, ginger, chili and garlic to curd and then marinate your meat in that mixture. You can also buy ready-made tandoori masala and stuff your meat with that.
How to marinate:
You shouldn’t marinate your meat under room temperature. After making sure that your meat is properly submerged in or wrapped inside your marinade, put it in a sealable plastic bag, make sure there remains minimum air inside, seal it, and put it inside your refrigerator. It should be marinated for at least 6 hours, and in between, remember to shake the bag so that no part is left untouched by the marinade.
Take it out after the time has elapsed, let the meat come to the room temperature, and then cook it. Before cooking you can dispose of the marinade, but some people prefer to use it as extra garnishing of gravy.
Click below for a selection of:
