Marinating 101 wanted

Marinades serve two different functions: as a tenderizer and flavor
enhancer.
The cooking process itself turns connective tissues into gelatin to varying
degrees. Depending on the cut and type of meat, it may need a little
assistance to bring it to a palatable range of tenderness. Certain plant and
fungi enzymes and acids can break down muscle and connective proteins in
meats. As far back as pre-Columbian Mexico, cooks found that wrapping meats
in papaya leaves before cooking made for more tender results. The active
enzyme in the papaya leaves is papain, now refined from papayas and
commercially available. Connective tissue that comes in direct contact with
the protein-digesting enzymes gets broken down.
These tenderizing enzymes also reduce the capability of the meat to hold
its juices, resulting in greater fluid loss and thus drier meat. Enzymes are
also heat activated at levels between 140 and 175 degrees F. and deactivated
at the boiling point, so it really serves no purpose other than flavoring to
let meat sit in a marinade at room temperature. In fact, refrigeration is
recommended to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria. Let meat come to room
temperature before cooking.

Marination requires contact
Direct contact is the important point, since it is necessary for the
chemical reaction to occur. This means that soaking a piece of meat in a
marinade will only penetrate just so far into the surface of the meat. If
you marinate a large cut of meat in a tenderizing marinade, you end up with
a mushy exterior and an unaffected center. Puncturing the meat for the
marinade to penetrate gives an uneven result, with the further undesirable
side effect of allowing the meat to lose even more juices while cooking.
Thus, flat cuts of meat benefit most from tenderizing marinades. Place meat
in a plastic baggie with the air squeezed out and turn it often to be sure
all surfaces benefit from the marinade.

Some slaughterhouses now inject papain into the animals just before
slaughtering. The injected papain is carried through the bloodstream to all
parts of the animal and is later activated by the cooking process. This
sometimes results in a mushy piece of meat due to the enzyme destroying too
much of the muscle fiber firmness. The newest method being researched is a
machine which immerses tough cuts of meat into a water bath and then sends a
shockwave through the meat, breaking down tough fibers.

Marinate for flavor
Acid-based marinades both tenderize and flavor many different types of
foods, not just meats and seafood. Acids such as citrus juices, pineapple,
yogurt, buttermilk, and wine tenderize by denaturing or unwinding protein
strings. They also lend flavor to the end product. According to Cookwise
author Shirley Corriher, marinades containing oils with emusifiers mono- and
diglyceride (check the labels) penetrate deeper and faster. Extra-virgin
olive oil naturally contains monoglycerides and is a good choice for
marinades.
Dry marinades or rubs are used to enhance flavor as opposed to tenderize,
although some may have some beneficial tenderizing side effects. This type
is usually a mixture of herbs and spices, sometimes mixed wth an oil, which
is rubbed into the meat, poultry and seafood. Those recipes using dry rubs
usually specify a grill, pan-fry or broil cooking method.

Don't overdo the marinade!
As a rule, poultry and seafood are not tough cuts and could turn to mush or
leather if left in a tenderizing marinade for an extended period. In fact,
fish can be "cooked" in acid, requiring no heat at all as in one of my
favorite dishes, Ceviche. Extended marination of tender seafood can actually
toughen it by "overcooking" it. One-half hour of marination time before
cooking should be sufficient to impart the flavor of the marinade to
seafood. Marinated recipes that will not be eventually oven-cooked may
specify a much longer time. Thirty minutes to one hour is usually sufficient
time to successfully marinate poultry.

Nature's tenderizers
Nature gives us many tenderizers to choose from, both enzymatic and acidic.
When using an acid-based marinade, be sure to use only containers made of
glass, ceramic or stainless-steel, never aluminum. The chemical reaction
produced between alkaline and aluminum not only imparts an unattractive
discoloration to the food but can also darken and pit the aluminum
container. Many marinades will include one of the following along with
various herbs and spices.

Using leftover marinades
It seems a shame to discard that flavorful mixture, but do not be tempted to
reuse leftover marinade without first cooking it. During the contact with
raw foods, the marinade most likely has picked up harmful bacteria that
could make you very ill. For the same reason, it's wise to cook leftover
marinade before using it to baste with. Frugal cooks can put the leftover
marinade to use as a sauce, but it must first be boiled for five minutes to
destroy any harmful bacteria. Of course, this boiling process will render it
useless as a tenderizing marinade, but it can still impart some flavor as a
sauce. Alkalines leaked from the first marinated food will interact with the
acids to diminish the sharpness or acidity of the original marinade.

Natural Tenderizers
Pineapple
Figs
Papaya
Ginger
Kiwifruit
Mango
Honeydew
Wine
Citrus
Beer
Vinegar
Tomato
Yogurt
Buttermilk

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Marinade Recipes
http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blcon10.htm
"MEow" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've bought some wonderful, marinated and spicy food: water chestnusts
marinated with what I think they called a Tom-yum flavour, and some
mushrooms marinated in something very spicy. I love that, but I'd love

even

Quoted message said:

more to be able to marinate like that, myself.

If anyone can give me some tips and recipes, or reccomend a good book on

it

Quoted message said:

to me, then I'd really appreciate it.

Thank you in advance,
Nikitta.

Hey "chef" (and I use the term very loosely) when are you going to start
giving credit to those people from whom you plagerize your information???

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa011700a.htm

Word for word...but you didn't even provide the pictures, probably because
you know that that could get you into trouble...

Chef R. W. Miller said:

Marinades serve two different functions: as a tenderizer and flavor
enhancer.
The cooking process itself turns connective tissues into gelatin
to varying degrees. Depending on the cut and type of meat, it may
need a little assistance to bring it to a palatable range of
tenderness. Certain plant and fungi enzymes and acids can break
down muscle and connective proteins in meats. As far back as
pre-Columbian Mexico, cooks found that wrapping meats in papaya
leaves before cooking made for more tender results. The active
enzyme in the papaya leaves is papain, now refined from papayas
and commercially available. Connective tissue that comes in direct
contact with the protein-digesting enzymes gets broken down.
These tenderizing enzymes also reduce the capability of the meat
to hold its juices, resulting in greater fluid loss and thus drier
meat. Enzymes are also heat activated at levels between 140 and
175 degrees F. and deactivated at the boiling point, so it really
serves no purpose other than flavoring to let meat sit in a
marinade at room temperature. In fact, refrigeration is
recommended to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria. Let meat come
to room temperature before cooking.

Marination requires contact
Direct contact is the important point, since it is necessary for
the chemical reaction to occur. This means that soaking a piece of
meat in a marinade will only penetrate just so far into the
surface of the meat. If you marinate a large cut of meat in a
tenderizing marinade, you end up with a mushy exterior and an
unaffected center. Puncturing the meat for the marinade to
penetrate gives an uneven result, with the further undesirable
side effect of allowing the meat to lose even more juices while
cooking. Thus, flat cuts of meat benefit most from tenderizing
marinades. Place meat in a plastic baggie with the air squeezed
out and turn it often to be sure all surfaces benefit from the
marinade.

Some slaughterhouses now inject papain into the animals just before
slaughtering. The injected papain is carried through the
bloodstream to all parts of the animal and is later activated by
the cooking process. This sometimes results in a mushy piece of
meat due to the enzyme destroying too much of the muscle fiber
firmness. The newest method being researched is a machine which
immerses tough cuts of meat into a water bath and then sends a
shockwave through the meat, breaking down tough fibers.

Marinate for flavor
Acid-based marinades both tenderize and flavor many different
types of foods, not just meats and seafood. Acids such as citrus
juices, pineapple, yogurt, buttermilk, and wine tenderize by
denaturing or unwinding protein strings. They also lend flavor to
the end product. According to Cookwise author Shirley Corriher,
marinades containing oils with emusifiers mono- and diglyceride
(check the labels) penetrate deeper and faster. Extra-virgin olive
oil naturally contains monoglycerides and is a good choice for
marinades.
Dry marinades or rubs are used to enhance flavor as opposed to
tenderize, although some may have some beneficial tenderizing side
effects. This type is usually a mixture of herbs and spices,
sometimes mixed wth an oil, which is rubbed into the meat, poultry
and seafood. Those recipes using dry rubs usually specify a grill,
pan-fry or broil cooking method.

Don't overdo the marinade!
As a rule, poultry and seafood are not tough cuts and could turn
to mush or leather if left in a tenderizing marinade for an
extended period. In fact, fish can be "cooked" in acid, requiring
no heat at all as in one of my favorite dishes, Ceviche. Extended
marination of tender seafood can actually toughen it by
"overcooking" it. One-half hour of marination time before cooking
should be sufficient to impart the flavor of the marinade to
seafood. Marinated recipes that will not be eventually oven-cooked
may specify a much longer time. Thirty minutes to one hour is
usually sufficient time to successfully marinate poultry.

Nature's tenderizers
Nature gives us many tenderizers to choose from, both enzymatic
and acidic. When using an acid-based marinade, be sure to use only
containers made of glass, ceramic or stainless-steel, never
aluminum. The chemical reaction produced between alkaline and
aluminum not only imparts an unattractive discoloration to the
food but can also darken and pit the aluminum container. Many
marinades will include one of the following along with various
herbs and spices.

Using leftover marinades
It seems a shame to discard that flavorful mixture, but do not be
tempted to reuse leftover marinade without first cooking it.
During the contact with raw foods, the marinade most likely has
picked up harmful bacteria that could make you very ill. For the
same reason, it's wise to cook leftover marinade before using it
to baste with. Frugal cooks can put the leftover marinade to use
as a sauce, but it must first be boiled for five minutes to
destroy any harmful bacteria. Of course, this boiling process will
render it useless as a tenderizing marinade, but it can still
impart some flavor as a sauce. Alkalines leaked from the first
marinated food will interact with the acids to diminish the
sharpness or acidity of the original marinade.

Natural Tenderizers
Pineapple
Figs
Papaya
Ginger
Kiwifruit
Mango
Honeydew
Wine
Citrus
Beer
Vinegar
Tomato
Yogurt
Buttermilk

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Marinade Recipes
http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blcon10.htm
"MEow" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've bought some wonderful, marinated and spicy food: water
chestnusts marinated with what I think they called a Tom-yum
flavour, and some mushrooms marinated in something very spicy. I
love that, but I'd love even more to be able to marinate like
that, myself.

If anyone can give me some tips and recipes, or reccomend a good
book on it to me, then I'd really appreciate it.

Thank you in advance,
Nikitta.

BOB said:

Hey "chef" (and I use the term very loosely) when are you going to start
giving credit to those people from whom you plagerize your information???

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa011700a.htm

Word for word...but you didn't even provide the pictures, probably because
you know that that could get you into trouble...

Busted! <G> Good eye, BOB!

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Damsel in dis Dress said:

BOB said:

Hey "chef" (and I use the term very loosely) when are you going
to start giving credit to those people from whom you plagerize
your information???

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa011700a.htm

Word for word...but you didn't even provide the pictures,
probably because you know that that could get you into trouble...

Busted! <G> Good eye, BOB!

Carol

Cheffie is just too obvious. It seems to be his trademark M.O.

BOB

Quoted message said:

--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may
quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_