Marinating is a very common part of food preparation and is present in every kitchen in one form or another. It is the result of great experience due to our enviable activity in the field of canning food at home.
Marination in the past was mainly used for fish and was called aqua marina - sea water. Today, in addition to seafood, the marinade is mainly used for meat and harder vegetables.
Nowadays, marinating has evolved from a technique solely for preserving food to a culinary method to soften it and enrich it with additional flavors.
From simple salt water, today's marinade has mostly transformed into a mixture of vinegar or lemon, fat, various fresh or dry spices and salt, each of which has a role to play. While the fat carries the aroma of the spices, the acid contributes to the fresher taste and softens the tough parts.
Under the influence of the selected acid (acetic, citric or any other acid) partial hydrolysis of the protein takes place in the meat.
It breaks down into poly- and dipeptides and in the stomach, under the influence of gastric enzymes, this process continues, until the formation of amino acids.
This makes the meat easier to digest. Any kind of meat can stay in this marinade for up to three days. The longer it stays in the marinade, the tastier and more aromatic it will be in the end.
For tenderizing tougher meat, it is best to use milk-based marinades. This is a popular concept in India. There, tougher meats like goat and lamb are softened, by pre-soaking them in yogurt. In just a few hours, the meat becomes tasty and tender.
Another type of marinades are the so-called enzymatic. Necessary products for them are figs, melon, papaya, ginger and kiwi. This type of marinade is quite aggressive.
It helps break down the muscle fibers and the collagen that binds them together. You must be careful with it, as it is possible to turn the piece of meat into mush. The length of time depends on how tough the meat is, but is usually given up to two to three hours.
From the meat products, only the steaks turn out juicy and when made in the oven with a little liquid in the baking pan. It can be water, beer, wine, etc. or piled with sauerkraut.
Grilled meats are always drier, but if they are marinated in advance, they will turn into a refined dish. When baking, they are sprinkled with lemon juice to preserve their density. They are salted at the end. Those in a pressure cooker become the juiciest.
All types of marinating add flavor to the meat. However, not every one of them makes it more tender. An exception is marinating in pure lemon juice, as well as marinating in yogurt or thick ayran.
