To Marinate or Not To Marinate Your Meat

In the effort to create a better-tasting meal, chefs are willing to try almost anything. One of the best ways to add flavor to meat is by marinating it. But there is more to marinating than simply letting your meat sit in an ingredient bath for a few hours. Here is an explanation of marination and an answer to the question of whether to marinate or not to marinate your meat.

What Is Marination?

The first thing to understand in this debate is what a marinade does. A marinade is a mixture of acidic liquids seasoned with salt and spices. Meat is left to soak in this mixture with the goal of seasoning and tenderizing. The acid softens the meat’s tissue, allowing the flavor to seep in.

Reasons For

There are several reasons why you would want to marinate the meat for your meal. By soaking in the spices, the meat will include the flavor both inside and outside. Marinating also improves the texture of meat, making it easier to chew. Finally, marinating enhances the meat’s tenderness with the extra moisture from the mixture.

Reasons Against

Just as there are many reasons to enjoy marinated meat, there are just as many reasons to avoid marination. For one, the process is very slow, meaning that you must plan your meals in advance to reach the desired level of flavor. There is also a large room for error that comes with introducing your meat to liquids. You don’t want your meal to go mushy, which can happen if the meat marinates for too long. Marinating is also ineffective on some types of meat due to their thickness.

If you are looking for more advice on whether to marinate or not to marinate your meat, pay a visit to the experts at Vincent’s Meat Market. As the premier butcher shop in the Bronx, NY, we have the products and the know-how to make dinner time a smashing success.