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Choosing Marinades - Tips To Prepare Your Meat For The Grill

When preparing your meat for the grill, there are several things that you can do. There are two basic ways to add flavor to your meat and they are using marinades or a rub. Marinades are liquid based and they are made from a combination of several ingredients. These ingredients help to tenderize the meat while also adding flavor. The number of recipes available for marinades continues to rise as people look for new flavors. Some of the common or basic ingredients of marinades are oil, acid and spices.

Main marinade ingredients

Acid is an important component of marinades and it helps to break down the meat. The oil is used for keeping the meat from drying, while spices help to add flavor while bringing out the natural meat flavor. There are different types of acids used for marinade and they include vinegar, wine, beer, milk and fruit juices. The oils used can be olive oil, peanut oil or a vegetable oil. It is, however, important to avoid using any oil that coagulates in the refrigerator such as butter. Spices can vary widely to suit your taste and some options include peppers, salts, cumin, paprika, cayenne, mustard, basil, and others.

Your taste preference

It is a good idea to experiment with different mixes of acids, oils and spices to find the taste that you prefer. Remember that preparing the marinade can take time and you should not wait until you get your meat on the grill. Testing different marinades before applying them on your meat is a good idea and you should remember that different mixtures will work better with different types of meat than others. You also have to remember that you need onion and garlic for your marinade.

What to avoid when using marinades

You have to be very careful when using marinades as they can cause problems if mishandled. Be careful when using vinegar, tenderizers, and citrus juices as they can cause meat to become mushy if left on for too long. You should avoid using aluminum pans when marinating as the acids can react with aluminum causing serious problems. You should always use a plastic bag or glass dish to marinade meat. Remember that you should not reuse the marinade after the meat has been sitting in it, as the meat is likely to have left bacteria that can cause illness. Always throw out any leftover marinade.

Refrigerating the marinade

Marinades need to be refrigerated after preparation. Always ensure that you keep the marinated meat or the meat you are planning to marinate in the fridge. The meat should remain refrigerated until you are ready to cook it or put it on the smoker or grill. Remember that when you place the meat on the grill, much of the marinade tends to roll off the meat due to the heat. This means that you may end up losing most of the marinade. In many cases, the marinade tends to burn quite easily on the surface of the meat and it can leave the meat with an unpleasant color and taste.

Using marinade is not very easy and you need to do it several times before you get the hang of it. The result can be messy but with practice, you can enjoy the best flavors. This is a major reason why most people prefer to use rubs, as they are easier to control. You need to learn the best grilling techniques so that you can get the results that you want. Store unused marinade in the refrigerator, in an airtight container and remember that it has a very short shelf life. Remember that you can always get BBQ catering any time you have guests.