Marinades simplify dinner prep during summer months
It's the anti-cooking season, when it's too hot to linger in the kitchen and difficult to muster the energy to bring to the table anything much more complex than a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.
So think of marinades as your friend. They not only add flavor, tenderize tough meats and make them juicier, they also make dinnertime easier. You can take out a cut of meat, poultry or fish in the morning, marinate it in the refrigerator and, in the evening, just pop it on the grill. (If you're marinating vegetables, do it in the evening to keep them firm.) Add a vegetable and/or side -- also cooked on the grill, or maybe a cold, crisp salad -- and dinner's on. And the Fourth of July weekend is a great time to take a marinade for a test drive.
A marinade usually contains an acid (such as vinegar, wine, lemon juice or yogurt), an oil (of which many varieties, including flavored, are available) and seasonings. We've provided recipes appropriate for marinating various types of foods, but feel free to dream up your own, or to vary these with whatever ingredients strike your fancy or fill your pantry.
There are just a few ground rules:
We'll repeat this, because it's important: Marinate in the refrigerator (turning occasionally, if possible). Marinate vegetables and delicate seafood or meats fairly briefly, and experiment with time periods to get the flavor and tenderness you want.
Except in the case of vegetables, don't even think about reusing the marinade, because of the danger of bacterial contamination.
You can use marinades from vegetables to baste them while cooking, but if you want to use meat and poultry marinades for basting, first bring them to a boil.
Remove the food from the refrigerator about a half-hour before grilling to allow it to come to room temperature, which contributes to more even cooking.
1. ASIAN LACQUER MARINADE
(best with chicken)
½ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine or dry white wine
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix all ingredients in a large nonreactive bowl and whisk to mix.
Marinate whole chicken 12 to 24 hours in refrigerator.
-- Recipe from "Beer-Can Chicken" by Steven Raichlen
2. PEANUT MARINADE
(best wth beef or shrimp)
¾-inch piece ginger root, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup chicken stock or hot water
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix well and season to taste.
Marinate shrimp or beef two hours or more in the refrigerator.
-- Recipe from Review-Journal files
3. MANGO-MISO MARINADE
(best with pork)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons miso (hot bean paste)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup mango juice, apricot juice or orange juice
¼ cup rice wine
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
In a medium saute pan over medium heat, warm the oil and cook the shallot for two minutes. Add the garlic and saute for one minute more. Add the miso, cumin, mango juice, rice wine and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and chill.
Place in a zip-top bag; marinate pork for four or more hours in refrigerator.
-- Recipe from Weber
4. WHITE WINE MARINADE
(best with fish)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
½ cup olive oil
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
3 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk to emulsify.
Marinate fish for two hours in the refrigerator.
-- Recipe from "Grill Book" by Kelly McCune
5. HERB AND GARLIC MARINADE
(best with vegetables)
½ cup olive oil
½ cup lemon or lime juice
¼ cup water
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. The marinade can be prepared in advance and held covered in the refrigerator for as long as seven days.
Marinate vegetables (or vegetable skewers) such as chunks of parcooked potatoes or chunks of tofu, raw bell pepper, pineapple, red onion, button mushrooms, zucchini or yellow squash, or cherry tomatoes covered in refrigerator for two hours. Baste with marinade while grilling.
-- Recipe from the Food Network
Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.
