Читать книгу Big Book of BBQ - Pippa Cuthbert - Страница 7

■ For mess-free marinating and an even, all-over coating, place your ingredients in a strong plastic bag. If you have no large plastic bags or are marinating meat on skewers then always use non-corrosive dishes such as Pyrex, glass or stainless steel and cover tightly with clingfilm to avoid other foods tainting the flavour.

■ If you are marinating your meat for longer then 30 minutes always do so in the fridge. Remove it only 30 minutes before cooking to bring it back to room temperature.

■ In some recipes we heat the marinade. This speeds up the marinating time. Do not, however, heat marinades containing milk products such as yogurt and do not use hot marinades on fish, because they will begin to cook it immediately on contact. Hot, not boiling, marinades should be poured over the meat and left for no longer than 30 minutes at room temperature just prior to cooking.

■ Never mix raw foods such as fish and chicken in the same marinade – for maximum safety, keep foods separate.

■ Never combine cooked meat with your uncooked marinade. Instead, use the uncooked marinade during cooking for basting the meat.

■ If your marinade has a high sugar content it will burn more easily. Always hold off basting with these marinades until at least halfway through cooking. Always ensure that the last basting has had sufficient cooking. A low-sugar content marinade can be used to baste the meat from the start of cooking.

■ Before placing marinated items on the barbecue shake off any excess marinade, particularly if there is oil in it, to prevent flaring and burning.

■ Never use your best extra virgin olive oil in a marinade. It will burn and smoke because of the high content of monounsaturated fatty acids. Use light olive oil or vegetable oil instead, and save your best oil for salad dressings.

■ Acids are an important ingredient in marinades as they help break down enzymes and tenderize the meat. Common acid ingredients found in marinades are lemon juice, yogurt, wine, soy sauce and vinegar. Some fruits such as kiwi fruit and pomegranate are also highly acidic and are common meat tenderizers.

■ Do not over-marinate your meat. You may gain in flavour by doing this but you will also lose in texture. Some acidic marinades will break down the meat or fish if left too long.