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Making Marinades

TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-405 -- More Projects »
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Marinate meat or vegetables in a plastic bag. Try using a plastic straw to remove as much air as possible from the bag for a more even marinade.
Culinary expert Colleen Miner provides tips on how to properly marinate food.
  • For a basic marinade that can be used for all types of meat, poultry and fish, combine five tablespoons olive oil, three tablespoons of either lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar and one tablespoon of minced garlic. Add two tablespoons of fresh herbs such as basil, tarragon, oregano, mint, chives or parsley, depending on the flavors to be enhanced in the food.

  • When marinating beef, use 1/4 cup of marinade per pound of beef and marinate for 24 hours. Beef is tougher so it can marinate for longer periods of time.

  • Chicken is not as tough, and should marinate for shorter periods of time. If allowed to marinate too long, acids in the marinade can start to denature the proteins in the meat, in effect "cooking" the chicken.

  • For a delicate white fish such as walleye, use two tablespoons of marinade for every pound of fish and keep it in the marinade for 15 minutes.

  • Absorbent vegetables such as zucchini and eggplant will need three tablespoons of marinade per pound and should sit for about an hour. Thick-skinned vegetables such as bell peppers need two tablespoons of marinade for every pound, and should marinate for 15 minutes.

  • Use lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar for a marinade that also tenderizes meats. The acids in these liquids will break down proteins in the meat, making it more tender.

  • Marinate foods in glass, plastic, stainless steel or ceramic containers. Metal containers will react with acidic ingredients such as vinegar and cause the flavor of the food to be off.

  • For easy cleanup, put marinade and meat or vegetables in plastic bags. Shaking the bag every few hours results in an even marinade.

  • Cuts of meats with a relatively large surface area marinate better than those that are thicker or have more volume. For example, a butterfly cut of a leg of lamb will absorb more than a bone-in leg.

  • The marinade should cover the food completely. If it doesn't, turn it every couple of hours so that every portion of the food gets exposed. If marinating in a plastic bag, use a straw to remove all of the air from the bag, bringing the marinade up and around the meat.

  • If using the marinade as a sauce or to baste foods while they cook, boil it first to kill any bacteria that may have come from the raw meat.
Also in this Episode
TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-405
•Making Marinades
•Uses for Chopsticks
•Beginning Fitness
•Tip of the Day
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