3 Ways To Marinate Meat

Human beings developed their culinary art over time and managed to create different ways to prepare a multitude of foods. Discover below the 3 ways to marinate meat that will allow you to expand your cooking skills and enjoy many flavors.

Marinade used to be a technique designed especially for food preservation. For this, any type of meat was soaked, whether beef, chicken or fish, for a specified period of time. Nowadays it is used not only to preserve but also to improve flavors.

This technique is well known in gastronomy, as it  improves the flavor, color, moisture and texture of meat, as well as the retention of juices. It is an excellent technique to preserve and enhance the juiciness of food. There are many ways to marinate, using elements ranging from vinegar and wine to fruit juices.

3 ways to marinate meat

1. Marinade in vinegar

This is the most frequently used form of marinating in the kitchen, as vinegar gives meat a sour touch. It should be noted that the marinating time depends on the type of meat you are going to cook.

For example, for red meat it is recommended to marinate for 3 to 4 hours, chicken can be marinated for two hours or overnight, and fish for 30 to 60 minutes.

Ingredients

• Beef (2 kg).
• 4 cloves of garlic (5 g).
• 1/2 spoon of honey (100 ml)
• 1 cup of water (225 ml).
• 2 cups of vinegar (450 ml).
• 3 tablespoons of oregano (45 g).
• 2 tablespoons of parsley (30 g).

• 2 tablespoons of cumin (30 g).
• 1 tablespoon of pepper (15 g).
• 1 airtight plastic bag (oversize).

Preparation

• First, chop the meat into medium pieces.
• Then, inside the airtight bag, mix the vinegar, water, honey, oregano, parsley, cumin and pepper, plus the 4 garlic cloves.
• Then put the meat into the bag and store it in the fridge for 3 or 4 hours. Some people leave it all night, but it’s a slower process.
• Once the corresponding time has elapsed,  take it to the grill and roast the meat for 10 minutes on each side.
• Finally, let it sit for 10 minutes and serve. You can chop the meat into thinner cuts if you prefer.

2. Marinade in red wine

Most professional cooks love to marinate white meats with wine. Thanks to this technique, chicken, for example, absorbs the aroma and flavor of wine along with other ingredients without leaving a strong taste.

Ingredients

• 2 onions (200 g).
• 1 whole chicken (2 kg).
• 4 bay leaves (3 g).
• 1 teaspoon of salt (5 g).
• 1 teaspoon of sugar (5 g).
• 2 cups of red wine (450 ml).
• 1 teaspoon of pepper (5 g).
• 1/2 cup of olive oil (100 ml).
• 2 teaspoons of mustard (10 ml).
• 1 tablespoon of wine vinegar (15 ml).

Preparation

• First of all, cut the onions into slices and divide them into rings.
• In a large bowl or bowl, add the onion rings, wine, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil and bay leaves. Mix well.
• Then place the whole chicken in the bowl and turn it over. Cover with wrapping paper and place in refrigerator.

• Let the chicken marine for 2 hours  or let it marinate overnight.
• Finally, before cooking it, let it drain well.

3. Marinade in lemon juice

This is the best technique for marinating fish. It only takes 1 hour for the fish to absorb the sour taste of lemon juice and other ingredients. Then you can fry it or grill it with a little onion and red peppers.

Ingredients

• 1 hake (1.5 kg).
• 1 teaspoon of salt (5 g).
• 1 teaspoon of pepper (5 g).
• 1/2 teaspoon of oregano (3 g).
• 3 crushed garlic cloves (4 g).
• 1/2 onion, chopped into cubes (50 g).
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice (100 ml).

• 5 tablespoons of olive oil (75 ml).
• 1/2 red pepper in cubes (100 g).

Preparation

• The first thing you should do is clean the fish ; that is, removing the viscera and excess pimples.
• Then, in a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano.
• Place the fish in a bowl and turn it so that it absorbs the marinade well.
• Cover the bowl with wrapping paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• After that time, when frying or roasting the fish, let it drain a little and place it in the pan over low heat with the onion and pepper. Let it brown for 10 minutes on each side.
• Finally, serve with any accompaniment and enjoy.