Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. This sauce, called the marinade, can be either acidic (made with ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, or wine), or enzymatic (made with ingredients such as pineapple, papaya, yogurt, or ginger), or have a neutral pH.<ref name=finecooking>Template:Cite magazineTemplate:Pages?</ref> In addition to these ingredients, a marinade often contains oil, salt, herbs, and spices to further flavor the food items. It is commonly used to flavor foods and to tenderize tougher cuts of meat;<ref name="homecooking_about_com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the process may last seconds or days.
Marinating is similar to brining, except that brining relies on the action of salty brine rather than the action of acids or enzymes.<ref name="WaPo1">Template:Cite news</ref> Marinating is also similar to pickling, except that pickling is generally done for much longer periods of months or even years, primarily as a means of food preservation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Conversely, marinating is usually performed for a few hours to a day, generally as a means of enhancing the flavor of the food or tenderizing it.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Marinades vary between different cuisines. The French word {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} derives from the verb {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} "to pickle in sea brine", and ultimately from the Latin noun {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} "sea",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> suggesting that marinades may have evolved from an ancient brining tradition or may have initially used sea brine as an ingredient.
Tissue breakdownEdit
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In meats, the acid causes the tissue to break down, which allows more moisture to be absorbed and results in a juicier end product;<ref name="homecooking_about_com" /> however, too much acid can be detrimental to the end product. A good marinade has a balance of acid, oil, and spice. If raw marinated meat is frozen, the marinade can break down the surface and turn the outer layer mushy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Often confused with marinating, macerating is a similar form of food preparation.
Safety considerationsEdit
Raw pork, seafood, beef and poultry may contain harmful bacteria which may contaminate the marinade. Marinating should be done in the refrigerator to inhibit bacterial growth. Used marinade should not be made into a sauce<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> unless rendered safe by boiling directly before use; otherwise, fresh or set-aside marinade that has not touched meat should be used.<ref name=USDA>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The container used for marinating should be glass or food safe plastic. Metal, including pottery glazes which can contain lead, reacts with the acid in the marinade and should be avoided.<ref name=USDA /><ref name=joy>Template:Cite book</ref>
See alsoEdit
- Barbecue sauce – flavoring sauce used as a marinade, basting or topping for barbecued meat
- Ceviche – dish of marinated raw fish
- Saikyoyaki – a method of preparing fish in traditional Japanese cuisine by first marinating fish slices overnight in a white miso paste from Kyoto called saikyo shiro miso
- Vinaigrette – sauce made from oil and vinegar and commonly used as a salad dressing