Marinades

Want to bump up the flavor and tenderness of entrees and vegetables

by several notches? Marinades are the way to go—they tenderize and

transform flavor and are ideal for grilled and broiled foods.

* Plan for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of marinade for each 1 to 2 pounds of meat,

poultry, seafood, fish or vegetables. Marinades soak about 1/4 inch into

the surface of the food.
* Use heavy plastic food-storage bags or nonmetal containers for

marinating. Glass and plastic won't react with acidic liquids in the

marinade (such as vinegar, wine or lemon juice). Avoid porous

earthenware containers because marinades may seep into the pottery.
* Marinate food, covered, in the refrigerator (not at room

temperature) for 15 minutes to 2 hours or longer, and turn food

occasionally to evenly distribute the marinade.
* To tenderize meat, marinate it for up to 24 hours (after 24 hours,

the texture of the meat may become mushy). Marinate fish only 15 to

30 minutes; otherwise, it has a tendency to become mushy over a long

period.
* For food safety’s sake, never serve cooked meat on the unwashed

platter you used to carry raw marinated meat, poultry, seafood or fish

to the oven or grill. Otherwise, bacteria in the raw juices can transfer to

the cooked food.
* Planning on serving a side sauce of marinade? Set aside extra

marinade before you marinate raw meat, poultry, seafood or fish, and

refrigerate it (covered) until serving time. Prevent bacterial

contamination by either discarding used marinade or first bringing it

to a rolling boil in a saucepan, boiling for 1 minute and stirring

constantly, before serving.