How to Marinate Meat

Why marinate meat

Marinating meat boosts flavour, increases moisture and tenderises meat prior to cooking. Most marinades have an acidic ingredient included in them (vinegar, wine, lemon juice, tomatoes, mangoes etc). These ingredients break down the bonds within the protein bundles, releasing water and making the tissue moist and juicy. 

Formula for marinades 

You can get really creative making marinades, honesty anything goes, its up to your taste.  But generally they have the same simple formula: 

1) One part acid (vinegar, wine, lemon juice, lime juice, beers, tomatoes, mangoes etc)

2) Three parts fat or oil (olive, vegetable, peanut, sesame, walnut etc or alternatively milk, yogurt, buttermilk and coconut milk)

3) Seasonings (one of Peach Spice Co's spice mixes, herbs, chiles, garlic, mustard, plum sauce, tomato sauce, onions, ginger etc) 

Tips for making marinades 

  • Emulsify the acids and oils together using a blender. 
  • If you want to create crispy coatings on your meats, add sugar, honey or molasses to your marinade.
  • Don't include salt, it can dry out food. If you want a salty flavour add it just before you serve the dish. 
  • Don't use a aluminium container for marinating. Aluminium can react with the acids, use plastic bags, glass and stainless steel instead.
  • As rule of thumb use 1/2 cup of marinade to each 500g meat

How long meat needs to be marinated for

The amount of time you need to marinade for depends on the meat and type of marinade you are using. It is important not to over-marinate as the meat can become tough if exposed to the acids in the marinade too long.

As a general guide this is how long each meat needs. 

Seafood 15-30 minutes
Chicken  2 hours
Pork 4 hours
Lamb 4-8 hours
Beef  24 hours +

 

When to marinate vs when to use a dry or wet rub

What technique you use very much depends on what you are cooking.

If you want to lock in the juiciness with a flavourful light crust on the edge of the meat, then a dry rub is best. The idea of the dry rub is to create a sweet, smoky, tasty bark that complements the flavour of the meat. 

If you want to make sure your rub adheres to the meat and adds moisture a wet rub is best.