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By HELEN SMITH
Extension Agent, Home Economics
The 17th century English word, “marinade,” comes from the Spanish word for the sea, or “marinade.” Originally, marinades were only made of salt (hence the sea reference) and served as a way to preserve foods before the days of refrigeration.
Today, marinating is a culinary technique used to tenderize and enhance the flavor of many foods. Marinades are seasoned liquid combinations of cooking oils, acids (such as vinegar, soy sauce, wine, juice or buttermilk) and flavor agents. To marinate is to soak your food in a liquid combination for a certain period of time. The oil acts as a moisturizer, while the acid tenderizes the food. Sugars, herbs and spices are among the most common marinade flavorings, giving marinades a wide range of sweet and sour flavor intensities.
Why Marinate?
Today's busy lifestyles doesn’t leave much time for cooking preparation, and that’s where marinades work their magic. You can have a great tasting meal ready to cook in minutes just be marinating overnight or before leaving for work. Also, marinades add zip to today’s healthy diet of lessfatty meats and vegetables. On lean cuts of meat, marinades act as a moisturizer in place of fat. The flavor agents in marinades can add a splash to the vegetables you eat to meet your “5 a Day” requirements. Fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms and cucumbers can be turned into tempting and zesty chilled salads with the right mix of herb flavorings and oil.
In short, you can’t beat the versatility of marinades! You can easily change the “theme” of a dinner by altering the marinade slightly or using a different marinade altogether!
Time And Liquid Are
Of The Essence
Though marinating is easy, it requires a balance between time and ingredients, or your food may absorb too much or too little flavor. Judging marinating time depends upon the marinade’s flavor intensity and the food’s size and texture.
As a rule of thumb — decrease marinating time and flavor intensity for any small portion or very tender, porous foods such as fish filets, mushrooms and eggplant; increase marinating time for any large portion or lesstender, thicker foods such as London broi! and round steak.
Here are a few simple guidelines:
• Marinate flaky fish filets in lightly-flavored marinades usually no longer than 30 minutes (thicker fish steaks, such as tuna or halibut, may be marinated for up to two hours.)
• Pork ribs 2frid thick, less-tender cuts of beef should be marinated in a strong-flavored, moderately acidic marinade several hours or overnight.
• Never marinate food longer than 24 hours or it will begin to break down and become spongy.
• Expect to use 1/4 to 1/2 cup of marinade for every one to two pounds of food.
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