With cook-out season in full swing many of us are eager to move beyond simple burgers and hot dogs and try something a little more involved. Enter the marinade, a popular method of increasing flavor in things that we grill while at the same time bringing a little tenderness into the picture. As I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino, I know what a marinade is but I'm not sure how it works.
According to Jerry, a marinade is a liquid concoction that is high in acid and flavor. It has two purposes: to soften a tough protein; and to add deep flavor to that protein. First, some general rules about marinades.
- It’s best to avoid salt in marinades. Salt pulls moisture out of food and it will cause whatever you are marinating in it to be less juicy. But remember to always salt the product just before cooking.
- The more delicate the product, the shorter the marinating times – shrimp are good after just 30 minutes, lamb chops may need at least 1 to 2 hours in the marinade.
- If the reason for using a marinade is to tenderize tough cuts of meat, make sure there is a substantial amount of acid present…red wine is good, red wine vinegar is better and marinate over night.
- Zip-lock bags work great for marinating food. Try to push as much air out as possible before you seal the bag. You can also use covered glass baking dishes.
- Never reuse marinades. Some marinades also make great sauces, but don’t use the marinade that has had product in it. Make a separate batch to use as the sauce.
Here are some recipes for dynamite marinades that Jerry has come up with.
Garlic Lemon Marinade for Shrimp or Fish
Ingredients - will marinate up to 2 lbs. of shrimp or fish
2 lemons, juice & zest
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup fresh Parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and marinate the shrimp or fish for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before roasting or grilling.
Asian Salmon Marinade
Ingredients – makes enough to marinate one large side of salmon or 4 lbs of salmon fillets.
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small knob ginger, finely grated
4 green onions, green and white parts cut into ¼ inch disks
2 tablespoons Sambal, or other garlic chili pasta
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and marinate the salmon for up to one hour in the refrigerator before roasting or grilling.
