| A marinade is a combination of oil, acid and seasonings | | | | 4. Marinate your meat in a non-reactive container. A |
| that will tenderize and flavor any cut of meat. The acid, | | | | glass bowl or baking dish works well, but I prefer to |
| usually wine, vinegar or a citrus juice breaks down the | | | | use a Ziploc bag for easier cleanup. |
| tough fibers in the meat, making it more tender. The oil | | | | 5. Marinate the meat in the refrigerator. Turn the meat |
| absorbs flavor from the seasonings, melds them, and | | | | at least once and preferably several times during the |
| carries the flavoring into the meat. It also helps to keep | | | | marinating. |
| the meat moist and juicy. | | | | 6. Never reuse the marinade. If you desire to use |
| A good marinade will help you create that truly special | | | | some as a dipping sauce, reserve a portion before |
| dish, but marinades do not have to be complex. One | | | | marinating the meat. |
| of my first marinades was a bottle of Italian dressing. | | | | Try these marinade recipes to get you started. They |
| (Add one part Worcestershire sauce to 4 parts Italian | | | | are good with chicken or meat. |
| dressing for an incredible spicy chicken marinade.) | | | | Balsamic Vinegar Marinade |
| Secrets of marinating- | | | | 1/4 cup olive oil |
| | | | 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar |
| 1. The larger the surface area of the meat, the more | | | | 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary |
| effective the marinade will be. If your meat is compact | | | | 1 teaspoon fresh thyme |
| without a large surface area you can inject marinade | | | | Asian Marinade |
| into the meat, or simply poke holes or slits in the meat | | | | 1/4 cup light soy sauce |
| with a knife and massage marinade into the holes. | | | | 1 Tablespoon sesame oil |
| 2. Larger pieces of meat need longer marinating times. | | | | 1 garlic clove, minced |
| Small pieces such as kabobs can be marinated for 30 | | | | 1 teaspoon ginger, minced |
| minutes to an hour; a roast may need overnight | | | | 1/2 Tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, minced |
| marinating. | | | | Use these recipes to get you started, then experiment |
| 3. When browning the meat is desirable, remove the | | | | with your own flavor combinations. |
| meat from the marinade; dry it, and then brown. | | | | |