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Marinating-At one time or another, I’m sure you’ve either purchased a prepared marinade or constructed your own to use with some type of animal protein. Likely, your goal was to either add flavor or tenderize or both. But, let me ask you: Do you really know what marinades do for specific foods and do you know how to use them?

Our intention is to debunk the myths, get at the truth of what marinades can do and provide a guide on marinade amounts and ideal marinating times for specific foods.

Let’s get started!

PART I: Myth to Truth in Marinating

How Deep Do Marinades Go?

One of my favorite myths is that of the depth that marinades penetrate in meat. The tale is that once a meat is exposed to a marinade, it will get completely thru but this is far from the truth.

Marinades are a surface to few millimeters below surface benefit no matter what the content of the soaking liquid. The oil, herbs, seasonings and spices only add flavor to the exterior of the food with no ingredient ever penetrating to the center of the meat.

Are Bottled Dressings a Marinade?

We all look for ways to cut corners and one of the myths out there is that bottled dressings work just fine as a substitute marinade. The truth, however, is bottled dressings have high levels of acidity which when exposed to meat protein tend to break down the meat molecules too far resulting in a mushy texture. Additionally, bottled dressings are loaded with unwanted ingredients like sweeteners (sugar), gums, and stabilizers and lack ingredients that give any real flavor.

How Long Should You Marinate Meat?

As mentioned above, since marinades don’t penetrate deeply into meat, a longer marinating time doesn’t mean more tender or flavorful meat. In fact, the opposite becomes true. Marinating too long will allow the protein bonds in the meat to weaken resulting in a mushy exterior which can prevent the meat from holding on to moisture. That means you end up with a dry piece of meat.

Doesn’t the Acid in a Marinade Tenderize Meat?

When you’re looking to tenderize meat what you are really doing is breaking down connective tissue in the meat which is what produces tough cuts. Connective tissue is made up of collagen and fiber which can be weakened by an acidic ingredient like vinegar, wine, citrus juice, etc. The problem again is this affect is surface only and cannot penetrate to the core of the meat. Best advise is to use these ingredients sparingly and for shorter marinating times.

Can You Use a Marinade on Any Meat?

Since you’ve learned that marinades benefit the surface of the meat only, it is best for them to be used with thinner cuts of meat, like chicken breasts, cutlets, chunked meats, steak, and chops. Larger cuts of meat do best with a wet rub or spice paste.

PART II: Marinating Tips for High Flavor and Juiciness

Tip #1 Flavorings and Seasonings: Use a lot of these ingredients in marinades and be sure to watch the salt or it will inhibit the absorption of other herbs, spices, and seasonings.

Tip #2 Score the Meat: To achieve as much penetration as possible, score the meat’s surface with a knife or prick the surface with a fork.

Tip #3 Reactivating the Marinade: I personally like to marinate in a storage bag but you can use chaffing dishes or other similar large baking dishes covered with plastic wrap. When using a storage bag, ensure that all the air is out of the bag before sealing. Halfway through the marinating time, flip the storage bag or stir the meat in a dish to ensure everything is getting even soaking time.

Tip #4 Refrigeration: One risk with marinating is the development of microorganisms since you are dealing with raw meat. You can reduce this risk but getting your marinated meat in the refrigerator as quickly as possible to avoid the temperature danger zone of 40-140°F when bacteria can spread rapidly.

Tip #5 Wipe Off Excess and Discard Leftover: Remember, you’ve just marinated raw meat so never keep used marinade. It needs to be discarded immediately. If you feel you want to offer some of the marinade to go on the cooked food, simply keep a small amount separate from the marinating meat. Also, so you don’t get excessive flare-up on the grill, wipe off excess marinade from the meat before grilling.

PART III: Can you Marinate too long?

Guide to Marinating Foods

This guide is intended to provide a starting point for specific foods on the quantity of marinade needed and the timing of the marinating process.

By following these tips and guidelines, you’ll be sure to keep your foods moist, flavorful and promote a great mouth-food experience texture-wise.

Do you have favorite marinade ingredients? Leave us a comment to opine. Making you an informed consumer through valuable articles like this one. Leave us a comment and follow us or subscribe for more great recipes, techniques, tips, and the science behind the flavor and fire. That’s SmokinLicious®.

SmokinLicious® Products:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®, Minuto® & Piccolo®

For related reading on marinating, be sure to check out our directory of previous blogs on smoking & grilling tips and techniques.

Other topics you may enjoy:

–HOW TO MAKE THE NEW PLANT-BASED BURGER TASTE EVEN MEATIER!

–GRILLING & SMOKING QUESTIONS/ANSWERS THAT MAY SURPRISE YOU!

-THE 3 PRIMARY HEAT SOURCES FOR GRILLING MEAT

Dr, Smoke- Marinating adds great flavor to your food!

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Gilling & Smoking Questions/Answers Click To Tweet

Grilling & Smoking Questions— We’ve all heard the saying, “There are no stupid questions”. I answer a lot of questions about cooking, grilling, smoking, and wood-fired cooking over the course of a week. I am always surprised that when writing on these topics, I don’t often think of the truly novice cook and offer very basic tips. So, today, that’s what my goal is.

Grilling & Smoking Questions: When cooking a rack of ribs, do you cut them into individual pieces and then grill or leave them on the rack?

I honestly understand where this question comes from. You often see ribs served pre-cut into single bone servings at restaurants so why wouldn’t you start to think they must be cooked that way.

Unfortunately, the best way to cook ribs is as a rack when purchasing baby back or St. Louis cut spare rib for pork or beef ribs. This allows a crust to form on the outside when cooked, and for the rub to penetrate the entire rack so the flavors are more even.

Grilling & Smoking Questions : What is the white stuff on the bottom of the pork ribs?

That is a membrane we call silver skin that generally is left on the rack when the butcher cuts the meat. You always want to remove that membrane as it can prevent the meat from tenderizing and is rubbery if eaten. Simply take a butter knife and insert between the membrane and the meat at one end. Loosen it and then gripping the membrane with a paper towel, peel it off, trying to get it in one piece.

Grilling & Smoking Questions: How do I cook chicken on the grill so it doesn’t dry out?

For those that don’t feel like a master of the grill, just doing meats on the grill can pose a challenge. Chicken is no exception. In fact, it can be a difficult protein to grill since white and dark meat cook at different rates. The easiest method of ensuring moist and flavorful chicken, is to cook it on a two-zone grill set up. That means only half the burners are turned on while the chicken is placed on the grate that has no burners on. This allows the heat to radiate to the chicken and cook without burning the skin or cooking beyond 165°F.

Grilling & Smoking Questions : Do I soak my wood chips or chunks to make smoke?

Great question and one to ask before you start. No, do not soak the chips or chunks or any wood product for that matter unless a manufacturer of specific equipment requests it to be soaked. When you soak the wood, only the outer layer, about 1/8-inch thick gets wet. Once a wet wood is applied to a hot fire, the fire’s energy works to remove the excess water in the form of steam. This take energy from the fire which means you can alter the cooking temperature of the equipment. Apply wood product dry to get the best flavor from the wood even if using a smoker box or aluminum foil.

Grilling & Smoking Questions : What differentiates charred food from burnt food?

Let’s first define what charred foods are. When you char a food which usually is an animal protein or thick-skinned vegetable but can be just about anything, a dark colored outer crust forms either around the edges of the food item or completely across the food’s surface. The inside of the food will retain moisture and tender texture. If the food item is dry, tough, and an ugly color, it’s burnt.

Grilling & Smoking Questions: Does soaking your steak in marinade overnight make it juicier?

Marinades are ideal when you want to add a flavor level to meats, poultry and fish. The thing with marinades is you need to be careful not over-marinate. Since meat is 75% water, adding another liquid i.e. marinade, will not penetrate beyond the outside. Oh, you can cut some slits into the meat, fish, or poultry to get is a bit deeper but marinating something overnight will not get any more flavor into the food item. Plus, you take the risk of producing a mushy result if the protein of the meat is broken down too far.

Grilling & Smoking Questions : I assume when you smoke with wood it takes quite a bit of wood to make the smoke. Exactly how much do I need?

This is one misunderstanding that drives me crazy! It is not about the quantity of wood for hot smoking. Quality and moisture are the keys. First, find a hardwood and only hardwood, that has some moisture to it. About 25% is ideal. Whether you’re using a gas grill, charcoal grill, or electric unit, you’ll only need about 6-8 ounces of hardwood to start. Know up front, you won’t and shouldn’t see a ton of smoke and that smoke should be light in color.

Grilling & Smoking Questions : How do a get “fall off the bone” ribs when I grill?

I’m going to be completely honest – you don’t want fall off the bone ribs! If you prepare the ribs correctly – trimming the excess fat, removing the silver skin, and marinating with your favorite rub, brine or marinade – grill and/or smoke them at a lower temperature (I prefer 225°F) for roughly 3 hours, and then check for doneness with the “bend test”. Taking a pair of tongs, lift the ribs in the center of the rack from the grate. If they bend and have slight cracking to the meat, they are done. You’ll still find the meat will come right off the bone when you bite into it.

Grilling & Smoking Questions : What should you do first before using a new grill or smoker?

Clean it then test burn it without food. You need to clean the surfaces – inside lid, grates, side walls – to remove any remaining chemicals from the grill’s construction. To extend the life of the grill grates, season them with a high heat oil such as avocado, peanut, or canola oil. Simply brush or wipe on the oil with a small, clean paint brush or with a paper towel. Wipe off the excess and then follow with a test burn.

By running a test burn, you can remove any further impurities left from the manufacturing of the unit so you have no tainted flavors to your foods. If you’ve purchased an LP/Gas unit, test for leaks before lighting the grill. Oh, and always read the manual first thing so you know full operation and warnings on your unit.

I’ll be sure to provide follow up posting on questions that come my way in the future to ensure that I’m always assisting everyone – from novice to pro cook.

Making you an informed consumer through valuable articles like this one. Leave us a comment and follow us or subscribe for more great recipes, techniques, tips, and the science behind the flavor. That’s SmokinLicious®.

SmokinLicious® products:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®, Minuto® & Piccolo®

Other common questions

-HOW MUCH WOOD TO ADD WHEN SMOKING

-3 METHODS OF SMOKING BOSTON BUTT FOR AUTHENTIC BARBECUE FLAVOR

-WHAT WOOD TO USE FOR SMOKING: A PRIMER

Our salt free spice rubs in our mortar and pestle

 

Spicy & healthy for any protein!

 

SALT FREE RUBS- SPICY & HEALTHY

By Mealtime Mentors and published by Festival Foods

Skip the bottled marinades and seasonings that can be loaded with sodium, and make your own salt-free spice blends!

For Beef

photo courtesy of Festival Foods

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. ground ancho chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

For Pork

Photo courtesy of Festival Foods

Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• Ground cinnamon- 1/4 tsp.
• 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

Additional reading:

-PREPARING FOR ENTERTAINING

-SMOKED BEEF SHORT RIBS

-CORNISH GAME

HEN MEETS SM

OKE IN THE ORION COOKER

Dr. Smoke- Food labeling is important for health and food safety. It should apply to all smoked foods!