Marinade Aid

Marinade Aid:
A Few Helpful Tips
by Bethany Booth

The Latin word marinara means �of the sea� and that is where marinade gets its name. The very earliest marinades were salty substances like seawater used to preserve and tenderize meats. Still today you can�t go wrong with a good marinade. Here are a few tips to make this excellent process even better.

1. The Beauty of Plastic!
Marinate your meat inside a re-sealable plastic bag. This will save you clean up time and makes it easier to marinate meat evenly � simply flip the entire bag. It is a good idea to double-bag raw meats � just in case.

2. For Chicken Only!
When marinating with an acid-based marinade (one that includes, vinegar, wine, citrus juice or tomatoes) be sure to only marinate chicken for a short time (no more than 2 hours). Otherwise it could become tough.

3.Keep an eye on the grill!
Marinating for 12 hours or more can cut actual cooking time by 1/3.

4. Make it Tender!
For truly tender meat use a dairy product such as buttermilk or yogurt as the base for your marinade. The calcium in dairy products activates enzymes in meat that break down the proteins; similar to the way aging tenderizes meat.

5.Saucy!
There is no need to toss your scrumptious marinade, simply boil it for 5 minutes and you have a lip smacking sauce for basting or tasting.

* DVO welcomes your kitchen hints and cooking or nutrition questions! Email us and we'll post your hints and Q/A's in upcoming newsletters! *