If you ask a professional chef in his chef whites and elegant chef hat what makes cooked meat tasty, he will no doubt tell you that it is the marinade you use.
It is a liquid mix of herbs, spices, oils and seasoning which adds an immense amount of flavor to the meat (or anything else) that you are cooking. A marinade is usually rubbed on the meat and is left to stand for awhile in order to absorb the different flavors of the marinade ingredients. In addition to enhancing the taste, marinades also offer a deliciously irresistible aroma to the food.
There are many different types of marinades that chefs use for different types of meats. These include:
Acidic Marinades – Consisting of one part oil and two parts acids, as well as herbs, spice sand aromatics, these marinades use such acidic ingredients as citrus juices, vinegar and even wine.
Oil-Based Marinades – This type pf marinade is one of the simplest around and can be used on fish, meats as well as vegetables. It is a mix of oils, herbs and spices, and includes such ingredients as ginger, garlic and dried chili. You can use many different types of oil for these, including olive oil, coconut, sesame or hazelnut.
Enzymatic Marinades – Enzymatic marinades help to tenderize meats, and are mainly found in fruits such as pineapple, kiwi, papaya and figs.
Dairy-based Marinades – Dairy based marinades are some of the best for tenderizing meats as the calcium contained in dairy products activate the enzymes required for meat tenderization. Ingredients for these types of marinades include buttermilk and yoghurt.
Different meats have different marination times, which can also change according to the cut of meat, and will make a great difference in the flavor of the cooked dish. According to chefs though, marinades only penetrate the meat up to about a 1 cm depth, hence it is not necessary to marinade for long hours.