Marinade Recipe Tips & Ideas

A good marinade recipe can transform a cheap cut of meat into a taste sensation and an ordinary cook into a backyard chef.

Marinades contain three basic components: acid (wine, vinegar, or lemon) to tenderize and add pizzaz; oil, to add moisture, hold flavor, and promote browning; and herbs and/or spices to provide additional taste.

One of the most cost-effective marinades is made with oil and vinegar (three parts oil, one part vinegar).

Here’s an easy-to-make vinegar marinade recipe you can use as is, or adapt to your own particular taste.

Simple Vinegar Marinade

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup dry red wine

2 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 tbsp garlic powder)

2 tbsp of dried or fresh herbs

Pepper to taste

Combine the vinegar, red wine, soya sauce, worcestershire, and sugar. Mix in oil, and herbs.

Simmer for half an hour. Cool. Marinade beef for several hours.

Marinading tips

Don’t be fooled by how unpleasant a marinade smells, or tastes on its own. Cooking brings out its good side.

Some marinades take a long time to absorb the flavor of herbs and spice, especially if you use dried herbs. For recipes that call for a short marinating period, make the marinade several hours in advance so it can develop its full flavor before the food is added.

Unless noted in the recipe, all it takes to make a marinade is combining the ingredients in a bowl and mixing thoroughly. For some recipes you may need to heat the ingredients just to the boiling point to bring out the flavor. If heated, always allow the marinade to cool to room temperature before using. Food added to a hot marinade may partially cook, sealing it off to further flavor penetration.

Since the acidic content in some marinades and sauces may react with certain metals, it’s best to marinate food in plastic bags, glass or ceramic dishes.

Fish should not marinate longer than 30 minutes because the acid will begin to “cook” the fish.

Food is marinated anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours. It depends on how strongly you want the food flavored, the strength of the marinade, and the type of food involved. Cover and store in the fridge unless recipe specifies otherwise.

If the marinade solution does not completely cover the meat, turn or toss the meat occasionally to ensure even flavoring throughout.