Simply marinate deliciously!
The art of marinating is part of grilling and barbecuing. Whether meat, fish, vegetables or fruit - many things simply taste better when they have been allowed to soak in the marinade for a while. But why do we actually marinate food and how do you prepare the best marinades for grilling?
The word "marinate" comes from the French (mariner) and means something like soaking in salt water. It was originally a technique that was used to preserve easily perishable foods such as meat or fish for a longer period of time. Nowadays, however, it is more about using a marinade to give the food a finer taste or to make it more tender and juicy. Salt often only plays a minor role in this context. Instead, an acidic component such as vinegar, citrus juice, buttermilk or wine is required. This affects the structure of the food, for example making it more tender, shortening the cooking time or making it unnecessary altogether, as the cooking process is already started by the acid during the marinating. But there are also limits: if meat is left in the marinade for too long, more than 24 hours, for example, the fibers can break down too much and the meat can become too soft. This also applies to fish, as its meat usually has a less robust structure.
Taste, taste and more taste
In addition to the acidic component, spices and fresh herbs enrich the marinade and thus ultimately the taste of the food. A look in the spice rack and in the fridge or even a look in the onion or garlic pot is therefore recommended when it comes to marinating meat, fish, seafood or vegetables and fruit. Depending on the occasion and the food being cooked, you can vary and experiment wonderfully when marinating.
Basic ingredients
At least something acidic, salt and a liquid such as oil, soy sauce, buttermilk or yoghurt should be part of the marinade to ensure that the food has an excellent taste and remains nice and juicy during grilling. The choice of other ingredients is up to each individual!
Marinating meat and fish
For marinating, you should always use a container or bowl made of a material that does not affect the marinade or the food. This includes glass, stoneware, porcelain and stainless steel. Aluminum or cast iron are not suitable here because they react to the acids. A robust vacuum or plastic bag with a zip closure can also be used. It is not necessary for the fish or meat to swim completely in the marinade; turning it now and again is sufficient. Containers are covered.
and sealed in bags and then placed in the fridge. It takes time for the marinade to take effect. The rule of thumb is at least 4 and a maximum of 24 hours of marinating time. Is everything ready to grill? Then take the food out of the marinade and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel so that it doesn't get too wet on the grill and nothing drips into the embers. Online and in grill and cookbooks, it is often recommended to brush the food with the leftover marinade every now and then while grilling. But at least with marinades for pork and poultry, which may be contaminated with bacteria due to the exposure time, you should avoid this - or at least boil off the remaining marinade before grilling.
Basic marinade for beef: RED WINE MARINADE
Ingredients
(for 2 ½ kg meat):
• 250 ml red wine
• 250 ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 carrot
• Salt
• Pepper
Mix the red wine with the olive oil in a bowl. Then add the mustard, crushed garlic cloves, chopped thyme and finely chopped carrot and season with salt and pepper. Cover the beef in the marinade and leave it to rest in the fridge for at least 4 to a maximum of 24 hours, depending on the size of the meat. Then remove from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Green for greenery
Of course, you can also marinate vegetables such as peppers, onions, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, broccoli or beetroot. A delicious marinade adds an extra flavor accent and makes vegetables even more surprising and varied. However, you should avoid too much acid if you prefer your vegetables to be firm. Fresh herbs can also be added to the marinade to add flavor, but sensitive varieties such as parsley should be removed before grilling as they can burn quickly.
How long to marinate?
That depends on what you want to marinate and what you want to marinate it with. Chicken legs or wings need less time than a whole chicken, a light herb marinade needs to be left to work for longer than a spicy marinade. Here are some examples to give you an initial idea:
• Large roast cuts such as rib roast of beef,
Pork shoulder, neck or leg of lamb: 24 hours
• Larger cuts such as loin, saddle of lamb, spare ribs or whole chicken:
6 to 12 hours
• Medium-sized pieces such as porterhouse, half a chicken or a fish:
up to 8 hours
• Smaller items such as steak, pork and lamb chops, chicken breast
or leg, fish steak or vegetables: 1 to 3 hours
• Smallest pieces such as chicken fillet, fish fillet or shrimp:
½ to 2 hours
But be careful: marinating is not a must!
Sometimes less is more - especially when it comes to high-quality meat, fish and vegetables. You can often get by with a little salt, pepper and a few drops of olive oil. Or you can marinate the dry way with rubs etc. - but that's a topic for a whole other topic.
You can also find basic marinades for pork, veal, poultry or vegetables in the current issue of FIRE&FOOD !
