What are the benefits of meat marinade?

Marinade is a mixture of acid, vegetable oil, salt, spices, in which raw poultry meat is placed (marinated) for the following purposes:

• To tenderize the meat. By the way, not all meat needs tenderizing. The tenderness of the product depends on the animal's age, meat grade, as well as the type of cut you use.
• Providing taste and a spicy aroma. By experimenting with marinade components, you can create a completely new bouquet of taste and aroma each time.
• Some marinades, such as those based on natural vinegar or wine, are also natural preservatives that help keep meat fresh even at room temperature for 12 hours.

There are a large number of recipes for meat marinade, but true masters and grill lovers often come up with their own options, which sometimes differ in a very original taste. If you also want to create your own marinade, use the following helpful tips.

The base for any marinade consists of one or more components.

• Acid. Vinegar, dry wine (including sparkling), beer, kefir, yogurt, mayonnaise, kvass, fruit and vegetable juices (lemon, pomegranate, blueberry, cherry, tomatoes), crushed fruits and berries (kiwi, pineapple, cherry, citrus) — this is exactly the component that makes meat soft.

• Fat. Vegetable oil, especially olive oil, helps retain juices in meat and also helps spices absorb into the meat.

• Aroma. It's time to add spices and seasonings, vegetables and herbs to the marinade - for additional flavoring of the meat and giving it a unique taste. When preparing marinade, it's important to choose the right spices depending on the type of meat you're using. In this selection of spices, our article "Spices and Seasonings for Meat" will help you

• It's best to marinate meat in glass, clay, or ceramic vessels. Among professional chefs, there is an opinion that aluminum cookware spoils the taste of meat. If you don't have a suitable pot handy, use a plastic bag.

• If you use onion in marinade, it needs to be cut not too large. Only in this case will it be able to give juices to the meat.

• Garlic for marinade should not be crushed, it should be cut into thin plates, slices.

• We recommend not mixing alcohol and vinegar or lemon juice in the same marinade. It's better to use just one main ingredient with high acidity.

• Don't cut meat into too large pieces if you don't have much time for marinating. It should be cut across fibers so that the pieces don't "shrink" during the frying process.

• Put vessels with marinated meat in a cool place, it will be ideal to put them in the refrigerator.

• Meat should be salted before frying, as salt draws juices from meat.