Spices and herbs are a great way to give any type of meat a wonderful aroma and taste. In addition, meat cooked with spices or soaked in marinade becomes softer and more juicy.
There are two ways to add flavor to meat. The first is the use of marinades consisting of sauce, spices, vegetables (onions, garlic and peppers). The second is the use of spices and special herbs. Seasonings may differ depending on how you plan to cook the meat, the type of meat and its age.
One of the most famous flavoring spices in meat is rosemary. This herb is used mainly in Mediterranean cuisine and is classic in Provence and southern Italian cuisine. You can use rosemary in the preparation of such types of meat as veal, lamb, chicken, pork. But such types of meat as duck or goose have a very bright aroma of their own, which will "conflict" with rosemary. To add flavor to the meat, cut the fresh rosemary into small sticks and sprinkle them over the meat. Stores also sell ready-made dried rosemary. Rosemary is ideal for steaks, grilled or baked meats, and imparts a light salty taste.
Basil, especially purple, gives the meat a spicy and salty flavor at the same time, making it richer. You should not make a marinade from basil: very often it stains the meat in a dark shade (especially when it comes to chicken and light pork). But added during the cooking process, this herb is able to add a very bright flavor to any meat. However, basil is most often used in cooking chicken and game.
The most famous spice in Russia is pepper. However, despite the popularity of black pepper, few amateur chefs cook meat with coarsely ground black pepper, which is intended to give steaks and chops a spicy, incomparable flavor. In addition to the classic black pepper, you can also use white and red peppers.
Professionals recommend using not a standard ground pepper from a store, but a special grinder, in which you can grind peppercorns directly during the cooking process.
Little used by Russian chefs, ginger (or its Asian relative galangal) gives the meat tenderness and a specific "Asian" taste. It must be cut into very thin pieces and then fried with the meat in vegetable oil.
Before grilling, it is recommended to flavor the meat with a marinade. Chefs do not recommend vinegar marinades, as they "kill" the natural aroma and taste of meat, it is better to use wine or salt water.
Marinating meat for a long time (more than 2 hours) is undesirable, as this makes the meat fibers tough.
To achieve the optimal combination of juiciness and taste, you can use regular salted water and natural lemon juice. Beef and veal can be marinated for 2-3 hours, pork and chicken - up to 1 hour. Lamb, for the most part, does not need marinade, as it has its own bright taste. For barbecue or grilling, it can be salted with coarse salt, sprinkled with pepper, a mixture of spices (turmeric, cumin, different types of pepper) and left for a couple of hours in a cool place.
