A few days ago I wrote about Mary’s Marinating Stick a brand new product on the kitchen gadget market. I figured it would only be suiting to offer a follow up article on marinating meat the old fashioned way.
Marinades do two things: they tenderize meat and they flavor it. Marinades work by breaking down proteins in the meat to make it more tender. The enzymes in a marinade are not activated until they are heated so you are not tenderizing your meat when you stick it in the fridge overnight. You are flavoring it.
The trick to making a good piece of marinated meat is to make sure you have a cut that is flat. . .not too large. Put the meat and marinade in a large plastic bag and then you should flip it over frequently ensuring proper flavoring. I never knew this. . .I just always left it in the fridge overnight. However, if you’re home during the day, you could marinate the meat in the morning and then stick it in the oven when you’re preparing your dinner later.
Note: After doing some research I realized that Mary’s Marinating stick would work great on thicker and more tender pieces of meat that don’t need the tenderizing effects of marinade or would be too thick to marinate properly in the refrigerator.
Tex-Mex Marinade
This is best with pork or steak. . .the meat can then be used in fajitas.
Take 4 cloves of fresh garlic and mash with 1 teaspoon of adobo seasoning to make a paste. Add the paste, along with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin, and two tablespoons of olive oil; to a heavy duty Ziploc freezer bag. Mix together in the bag to combine. When you add the meat, also add cut up onions, bell peppers and cilantro sprigs. Make sure to distribute the vegetables evenly. When it is finished marinating, pan sear meat
Dr. Pepper Marinade for Beef
Whisk together one cup of Dr. Pepper, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil, chopped onions and a pinch of garlic salt in a bowl or large measuring cup. Pour over beef and refrigerate for ten hours. When you are cooking the beef, reserve the marinade. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Use the leftover marinade as a basting sauce for the beef while cooking.