Will You Marinade Me?

A marinade is a flavorful liquid that’s used for soaking 🥩 meat, poultry, seafood 🦐 and 🍅 vegetables. It has two purposes--to impart flavor and to tenderize. 

What a marinade won’t do is season the inside of a large cut of meat; unlike brine, it can’t penetrate much further than a few millimeters below the meat’s surface. But it can break down tough proteins on the meat’s surface, and the oil used in marinades helps the flavorings stick to the meat’s exterior.

A carefully chosen acid can transform a marinade from good to spectacular!  Lemon juice, wine, and vinegar all contain just enough acidity to begin to break down meat and tenderize. The flavor of the acid should complement the flavors of the rest of your meal so that it all ties together. 

Seasonings and salt are an important part of a marinade. Salt is the foundation of any marinade. It makes sure the meat can absorb the marinade, so use it abundantly. In combination with herbs and spices, it enhances the taste. Salt makes sure the moisture from the marinade gets absorbed even in dryer areas of the meat. 

Gather the Ingredients--to make a marinade, you will need:

🥘An acid to tenderize: Vinegar works well, but you can also use lemon juice, orange juice, or wine.

🥘Flavoring: Whatever seasonings or spices you happen to have on hand will suffice.

🥘Oil: This will hold everything together and add moisture to the meat.

🥘Salt: This basic seasoning will make the meat juicier and more flavorful.

Suggestions for vinegar, oil, and seasonings-

Meat + Balsamic Vinegar + Oil

🍗 Chicken-

• Peach + Basil EVOO, Myer Lemon + Rosemary EVOO, Strawberry + Tuscan Herb EVOO, Pineapple + Garlic EVOO

🥓 Pork-

• Mango + Meyer Lemon EVOO, Fig + Meyer Lemon, Cherry + Lime EVOO, Blackberry Ginger + Rosemary EVOO, Honey Ginger + Meyer Lemon

🍖 Lamb-

• Pomegranate + Meyer Lemon, Blackberry + Rosemary EVOO

🥩 Beef-

• Garden Herb + Garlic

Seasonings and Salts

• Tuscan Herb Dipper, Greek Seasoning, Austin Steak Rub, Chicken Rub, Pork Rub, Honey Chipotle Rub, Zaatar 
• Salts- Rosemary Lemon Garlic Salt, Chili Lime Salt, Smoky Citrus Salt 

Marinating times vary depending on the meat.  Seafood should not be marinated very long as compared to steak which can marinate up to 24 hours. Chicken and pork only need 2 to 3 hours to marinate and veggies only 30 minutes.