The Power of Marinades
How do you cut down on fat in your meats without cutting out the mouthwatering flavor and it’s tender, juicy bite? Marinades!
There are scores of tasty, tenderizing marinades you can make at home to suit any cut of meat and meal plan. Any flavor combination works. Use a wine or vinegar and oil with a mix of herbs and spices and you have a spectacular entree that everyone will think you fussed over. If 2009 is the year you resolved to eat healthier, leaner cuts of meat with a great marinade is the way to go. It’s also the perfect tenderizer for inexpensive cuts of meat that will help stretch your grocery dollar. Now that’s a resolution worth keeping! Another healthy eating tip: use olive oil in place of butter to add lots of flavor but lose the saturated fat.
Marinade ABCs & 123s
A – Add flavor with an unlimited variety of ingredients. Acidic ingredients like wine, vinegar, lemon juice or even yogurt will also tenderize. B – Beef cuts that should be marinated for tenderness – top round, eye round, chuck shoulder, skirt and flank steaks. Beef cuts that are tender can be marinated for flavor. Cuts from the Loin are both lean and very tender. Marinate these for flavor only. C – Chicken, pork, beef, lamb & turkey will all benefit from a flavorful marinade. Cook all meats thoroughly after marinating – the marinade does not change cooking times. 1 – Marinate in the refrigerator in a glass container or plastic food storage bag (one with a zip closure will keep your refrigerator safe from drippy messes) 2 – Turn your meat while marinating so that all sides have time to absorb the liquid. 3 – Use ¼ to ½ cup of marinade for each 1-2 pounds of meat. For flavor only, marinate 15 minutes to 2 hours. For tenderizing, plan on at least 6 hours but no more than 24 hours. Word of Caution – Never save and reuse a marinade once it has been exposed to raw meat.Here is an easy recipe to get you started
Teriyaki Marinade
¼ cup canola or peanut oil
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
Whisk together ingredients until combined. Add to meat or vegetables and marinate from 20 minutes to 24 hours. Discard marinade and grill or broil meat till done. This will marinate 2 pounds of meat or a large bowl of prepared vegetables.
May 7th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
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June 16th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
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