In order for the meat cooked on the grill or grill to turn out juicy and aromatic, it must first be soaked in the marinade. There are many recipes for marinade, many of which are suitable for a specific type of meat. They are united by the presence of spices and herbs.
A few tricks for marinating meat
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator before placing it in the marinade. It is important that it sit at room temperature for about an hour.
- When you cut meat for kebabs or steaks, note that it should be done across the grain. In this case, the piece of meat warms up better, it turns out soft and juicy. If you cut it along the fibers, then the slices, most likely, will begin to curl during cooking under the influence of high temperature, and the kebab will eventually come out tough.
- Prepare a deep, clean dish for the marinade, if possible use freshly ground spices, chopped just before adding to the rest of the recipe.
- It takes the least amount of time to marinate a chicken. Usually, for 1 kg of chicken fillet, it will take only about 2 hours for the meat to marinate more or less well.
- In order to marinate pieces of beef and pork, it will take an average of 4-6 hours. But lamb is marinated the longest - usually it takes up to 8 hours.
- If you have enough time for cooking, then the meat in the marinade can be kept for about two days. This does not apply to the poultry; marinating during the night is quite enough for it.
- The tougher the meat, the longer it can be marinated. For beef, lamb and pork, marinades can be quite rich, for chicken, on the contrary, they are relatively light and not very spicy.
- It is not advisable to pour the marinade on the meat during frying if it has not yet reached full readiness. These actions can break the temperature regime, and the crust will not turn out to be crispy enough. Do this only if it seems to you that the meat has not been soaked in spices very well.
- Typically, a classic marinade contains a natural antiseptic, such as vinegar, hot peppers, sage, garlic, or cloves. These foods eliminate the parasites found in meat, making it safe to eat.
- For the preparation of the marinade, do not use aluminum and wooden containers. Plastic dishes are also not a good choice, as they usually absorb odors. The ideal option is a glass or enamel container that is large enough to allow the meat to soak properly. You can also take a ceramic bowl for pickling, for example, made of earthenware.
- On top, the dishes with meat and marinade should be tightly closed with a lid. If there is no lid, then you can put an ordinary dinner plate, and something heavy on it.
- There is no need to salt the marinade for meat itself, otherwise it will give all its juice ahead of time. The shish kebab can be salted just before cooking, when the pieces of meat are already strung on the skewer.
- It is believed that the onion in which the meat was marinated is not advisable to use for food. If you really like the onions cooked on the grill, then it is better to make them in a container separate from the meat.
- If the pieces of meat are small, then you can skewer them tightly enough, alternating with rings of pickled onions and circles of fresh tomatoes if desired. The more fat on the meat, the freer it should be planted - in this case, all the pieces will be evenly and properly fried. The same rule applies when cooking meat on the barbecue grill.
Pork marinades
Tea Marinade
- 3 bags of black tea;
- 1 liter of boiling water;
- 3 large onions;
- 1 1/2 tbsp. tablespoons of salt;
- 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper;
- wine or apple cider vinegar.
Cooking step by step
1. Peel the onion and chop finely. Toss with 2 pounds of prepared, chopped and seasoned meat and salt.
2. Pour boiling water over the tea bags and let it brew until the liquid has completely cooled. Now add the tea infusion to the meat pot. Leave covered in the refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight.
3. String pork on skewers and grill over charcoal. Stir a small amount of vinegar into the tea marinade and water the kebab from time to time.
Pomegranate juice marinade
- 1 glass of fresh pomegranate juice
- 3 large onions;
- 5 cloves buds;
- salt pepper;
- fresh parsley.
Cooking step by step
1. Prepare one and a half to two kilograms of pork, cut it. Place in a container suitable for marinating. Chop the onions into rings. Sprinkle the pork with spices and cover with a layer of onion.
2. Sprinkle chopped parsley on the onion. Repeat layers until all food is used up. Place a clove on top and cover with pomegranate juice. Leave the pan in the cold for 4 hours, stirring the contents about once an hour. Shortly before cooking, add salt to taste - it is better if it is coarsely ground.
3. Spread the pieces of pork on skewers alternately with onion rings and strips of bell pepper. Fry until tender over the grill.
Sour cream marinade
- 500 ml sour cream;
- 3 chicken yolks;
- 5 onions;
- 700 ml of mineral water;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of table vinegar;
- 1 1/2 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar;
- spices for meat;
- salt pepper.
Cooking in stages
1. Whisk the yolks and sour cream. Cut about three kilograms of meat, place in a large container, add chopped onions and sour cream-egg mixture. Pour in water, wine vinegar. Add granulated sugar and spices to taste.
2. Stir the contents of the container and leave for 6 hours, covered in a cool place. Then fry the kebab over charcoal on all sides until golden brown.
Beef marinades
Marinade with sesame and ginger
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of sesame oil;
- 2-3 cloves of garlic;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of caramel sugar;
- 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger root;
- ground black pepper;
- sesame seeds.
Cooking in stages
1. Peel the garlic and pass it through a garlic press. Stir all the ingredients for the marind. Prepare about a pound of beef and place it in a glass dish or any other suitable dish.
2. Pour the marinade over the pieces of meat and leave covered for 4-6 hours in the refrigerator. Then fry the meat over charcoal.
Wine marinade
- 2 glasses of quality port or Madeira;
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 teaspoon of vinegar essence;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar;
- 3 large onions;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- ground paprika and cinnamon;
- salt pepper;
- Bay leaf.
Cooking in stages
1. Rinse about half a kilogram of beef thoroughly, pat dry with paper kitchen towels and cut. Place the meat in a dish and pour over the wine. Leave it on for three hours.
2. Stir Madeira, sugar and vinegar. Grind the bay leaf. Remove the meat from the dish and place it in layers in a deep saucepan, sprinkling with spices, onion rings and chopped garlic. Lightly drizzle over each layer with Madeira marinade.
3. Place the meat under oppression for a couple of days. Then skewer alternately with tomato circles and bell pepper slices. Fry over charcoal.
Lamb Marinade
Spicy garlic marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp. tablespoons of lemon juice (freshly squeezed);
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 1/2 teaspoon of chopped bay leaf, oregano and thyme.
Cooking in stages
1. Prepare one kilogram of lamb, cut into slices. Chop the garlic finely. Season the miao to taste, place in a deep bowl.
2. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade, pour in the meat, leave it under oppression in a cold place for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight. Put the marinated meat on skewers and fry over the barbecue.
Chicken marinades
Marinade with rosemary
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 3 large lemons;
- salt pepper.
Cooking step by step
1. Chop the peeled cloves of garlic with a knife. Wash the lemons well and squeeze the juice out of them - for this, first cut each fruit in half, remove the seeds.
2. In a glass, ceramic, or other suitable container, stir together the oil, garlic, fresh rosemary, and lemon juice. Cut a kilogram of chicken fillet, rub with salt and pepper and dip in the marinade for at least a couple of hours.
Marinade with mayonnaise and ketchup
- 300 ml mayonnaise;
- 300 ml ketchup;
- ground paprika;
- ground coriander;
- ground hot red pepper;
- ground black pepper;
- dried oregano and marjoram.
Cooking step by step
1. Combine mayonnaise and ketchup in a large bowl. Add all the spices to taste, stir. Cut about 1 kilogram of chicken fillet into small pieces and put in the marinade. Stir well and leave in the refrigerator overnight, covered with a lid.
2. Remove the meat from the marinade, skewer and grill until golden brown. Marinade can be used not only for breast fillets, but also for chicken wings or thighs.
