A marinade is a concoction of different ingredients used to enhance the flavor of the steak. While some acidic or microbial marinades can sear the steak meat better, a marinade’s primary function is to enhance flavor. Choose the proper cut for your cooking technique to get soft meat and cook it thoroughly.
Keep it Cold
Consistently marinate in the fridge. No exceptions because this is one of the most known beef marinade tips. Leaving your meat to marinate on the counter or, worse yet, outside will stimulate the bacterial growth that can make you unwell.
Tips for Dry Marinades
Dry marinades are composed of various herbs and spices that have been dried. For flavour infusions, wet marinades combine liquid and dry components. Because the moisture in beef absorbs the essential oils from the dry ingredients, the meat has a nice mild flavour. Herbs, spices, and little liquid are used to make pastes. Oil, finely ground ginger, and garlic is also used to bind the ingredients.
How much marinade to use?
For one to two pounds of beef, use about 2 cups of marinade. Extra marinade can be kept in the fridge for grilling later in the week, but only if it hasn’t come into contact with raw meat.
How long does it take to marinate?
If you have a tender cut of beef, 2 hours of marinating time is all you need to enhance flavour. If you want to tenderise the beef more, soak it in the marinade solution for at least six hours but not over 24 hours. Or else the muscle fibres may break down too much, leading to a gooey consistency.
Type of Container
Marinate your beef in a food-safe plastic bag, non-reactive glass, or stainless steel container. Remember to occasionally turn or stir the steak to ensure even marinade exposure. Save the plastic salad boxes for marinating. They are more durable than plastic bags and can be tossed in the garbage once the work is done.
How to Freeze?
Do you want to plan ahead of time? Prepare your marinade and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months in a zip-top freezer bag.
The Final Preparation
After draining the marinade from the meat, wipe it dry with paper towels on all sides to avoid steaming and promote browning. This is also the time to add additional ingredients to the flavour profile, like a rub.
Tips for Wet Marinades
What is the quantity of marinade?
To season 500g of beef, use half a cup of marinade. Salty seasonings, such as soy sauce, should be avoided since they cause the beef to lose its moisture and dry while cooking. Sugar will burn before the steak is cooked, so stay away from it also.
When it comes to marinating, how long should you leave it?
Place the steak in the marinade and allow it to absorb the flavours for a few minutes. If you don’t plan on cooking the beef within 20 minutes of marinating, keep it covered and refrigerated. Whole cuts of beef, such as roasts and steaks, can be marinated for 12–24 hours. 2–3 hours are required to marinate meat cubes for kebabs.
How to cook meat that has been marinated?
Remove the steak from the marinade. Don’t pour the marinade over the meat while cooking because it’ll stew it and produce flares. Brush a little marinade over the steak as it cooks to keep it moist, save for the last few minutes.
Safety is important
Never throw uncooked meat into a marinade that hasn’t been refrigerated. To kill any hazardous bacteria, bring the marinade mixture to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Serve with the meat.
