the world of marinades

what is a marinade?

Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origin of the word alludes to the use of brine (aqua marina or sea water) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor by immersion in liquid. The liquid in question, the marinade, can be either acidic (made with ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, or wine) or enzymatic (made with ingredients such as pineapple, papaya, yogurt, or ginger), or have a neutral pH. In addition to these ingredients, a marinade often contains oils, herbs, and spices to further flavor the food items.

It is commonly used to flavor foods and to tenderize tougher cuts of meat. The process may last seconds or days. Marinades vary between different cuisines.

Marinating is similar to brining, except that brining generally does not involve a significant amount of acid. It is also similar to pickling, except that pickling is generally done for much longer periods, primarily as a means of food preservation, whereas marinating is usually only performed for a few hours to a day, generally as a means of enhancing the flavor of the food or for tenderizing it.

why do we use marinades?

Tenderizing

Acids and enzymes in marinades break down proteins, which can make meat more tender and reduce cooking time. This can also help leaner cuts of meat be less dry and tougher cuts be more succulent.

Flavoring

Marinades add flavor to food. The acids and enzymes in marinades can also break down the surface of meat, allowing the flavors to penetrate deeper.

Moisturizing

Marinades can help meat retain moisture and stay juicy, even after cooking. This can be especially beneficial for meats that are bland or dry out easily on the grill, like chicken breast.

Brining

The salt in marinades can also act as a brine, penetrating the meat and seasoning it more fully. For this brining effect, marinating for one to eight hours is ideal.

Different foods require different marinating times and marinades:

Fish and seafood

Only need to marinate for 15–30 minutes. Using an acidic marinade for too long can make these foods tougher, so a milder acidic marinade for a shorter time is better.

Chicken

Shouldn't be marinated for longer than two hours, or it could become chewy.

Beef and pork

Can be marinated for up to 12 hours, or even overnight. Enzymatic marinades can make meat mushy if left on for too long.

a brief history of marinades

Seawater led to the word marinade, which comes from the Latin word for the sea, mare. The verb form “marinade” appeared in the English language around the early 17th century, earlier than the noun marinade, which didn’t appear until the 18th century.

According to some sources, the word may not have originated directly from the seawater connection, but from the French word mariner “to marinate” or from the Italian word, marinare, which means “to pickle.” The Oxford English Dictionary explained that the word, marinade, indicated something was briny, of salty water or the sea; this led to brining meats, treating food with brine or coarse salt to tenderize and flavor it.

The difference is that brining doesn’t include using vast amounts of acid, as opposed to marinades, to help break down the connective tissue in the meat for tenderizing.

food marination

Gradually, the pickling or preserving process evolved to flavoring and tenderizing meats. It involved steeping meat and fish, among other foods, in a mixture of vinegar, oil, herbs, and other similar ingredients before cooking. The idea was that it would tenderize and add flavor to the foods, which led to the technique of adding flavor by liquid immersion.

The process now lasts from minutes to days, and there are a plethora of marinades used in different cuisines. However, poultry and seafood require a shorter marinating time, since acidic ones can turn the meat mushy sooner.

The rule of thumb is to marinate chicken for an hour, no more. Citrus juice, wine, yogurt, pineapple, and buttermilk denature the protein strings, unwinding them, to make the chicken soft and add flavoring.

marinades throughout history

Most people believe marinades have only been around for a few hundred years or so and were discovered in Europe. However, they have originated from ancient Egyptian times. Asians have also been marinating their food for centuries with the popular ingredient, soy sauce.

The Roman era added marinades to flavor their food with vegetables being the main dish in ancient times. The French began marinating their food in the 1300s, and the Mexicans have used papaya to tenderize their meat since before Columbus’s time. In the U.S., we started using bottled marinades since the 1800s, but marinating, in general, could have been used even before that. Specific ingredients in marinating solutions have been influenced by the country they originate from, as well as by the cooks.

Because there was no refrigeration back then, marinating was mainly used for preservation. During the Renaissance era, they gained popularity in western cooking, when people used them on chicken and other meats to enhance the flavor, along with preserving it.

in conclusion

In meats, the acid causes the tissue to break down, which allows more moisture to be absorbed and results in a juicier end product; however, too much acid can be detrimental to the end product. A good marinade has a balance of acid, oil, and spice. If raw marinated meat is frozen, the marinade can break down the surface and turn the outer layer mushy.

Often confused with marinating, macerating is a similar form of food preparation.

Raw pork, seafood, beef and poultry may contain harmful bacteria which may contaminate the marinade. Marinating should be done in the refrigerator to inhibit bacterial growth. Used marinade should not be made into a sauce unless rendered safe by boiling directly before use; otherwise, fresh or set-aside marinade that has not touched meat should be used. The container used for marinating should be glass or food safe plastic. Metal, including pottery glazes which can contain lead, reacts with the acid in the marinade and should be avoided.

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