Many people see cooking as an artform because there can be beauty found within a piece of meat that has been well-seasoned and cooked to perfection. In fact, a balanced marinade can enhance the flavour and texture of meat in a way that traditional seasoning just cannot achieve. Luckily, there are dozens of different ways to make a marinade. Read on as the team here at The Healthy Living and Fitness go over everything there is to know about the importance marinating meat…
What is a marinade?
By definition, a marinade is a mixture of spices and seasonings that are mixed with oil in order to create a liquid solution. Meat is then soaked in this solution for a number of hours in order to add flavour, retain moisture and make it more tender by starting the cooking process ahead of time. This is especially noticeable when acidic ingredients like pineapple and vinegar are added to a marinade.
How long does it take to marinate meat?
There is a lot of debate regarding the length of a high-quality marinade in the cooking industry. After all, these timeframes depend on the ingredients that have been placed into the solution as very acidic marinades can actually toughen meat overtime rather than make it more tender. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that amateur chefs marinade meat for 3-24 hours depending on the type of meat and its cut.
Which meats are suitable for a marinade?
The rules of marinating can differ from meat to meat as each type comes with an optimum marinating time. For example, shellfish should be marinated for no longer than 15 minutes whereas seafood can be marinated for 20-30 minutes. Following on from this, white meats like chicken should be marinated for 3-12 hours whereas red meats like beef and lamb can be marinated for 3-24 hours. Luckily, it is possible to marinate every type of meat and the length of time for white and red meat is simply a guideline rather than a compulsory step.
A marinade is the perfect way to improve the flavour of a healthy meal that makes a person want to reach for a burger and French fries. After all, a chicken salad doesn’t have to be boring! Royal Nawaab is a restaurant in Manchester and London that specialises in the creation of authentic Indian and Pakistani cuisine. In fact, marinating is an essential process for a curry. To book a table, get in contact with a member of the Royal Nawaab team today!