by Rhui Chatar

Created on: December 13, 2010   Last Updated: December 17, 2010

There is nothing like a good marinade to add flavor and tenderness to grilled foods.  Marinades can do all this without adding a lot of fat or extra calories as sauces often do.  The best marinades are home made from staple items found in the average kitchen.  Once the basics of liquid marinades are understood it's easy to put one together appropriate for the item to be grilled.

Liquid marinades normally include an acid component combined with oil.  The acid allows added flavors of herb and spices to penetrate the meat.  The oil helps to keep the flavoring in contact with the meat while helping produce a sealing char to hold in juices.

But life these days keeps us pretty busy so more often than not we reach for the easily had bottle with the catchy name or fancy labeling place at eye level in the supermarket.  They do that on purpose, you know.

There’s nothing wrong with this as long as you take a moment to read the ingredient label.  What you don't want to see is anything that begins with mono- .  MSG is a flavor/tenderizing agent often used in commercial marinades to help things along chemically, but isn't really a food/flavor additive, and has been known to produce allergic type reactions in some.  Put that one back.  What you do what to see is that acid component; vinegar, citrus juice, wine or even buttermilk. 

Next, look for the type of oil.  In economic commercial mixes this could be anything from soy, cottonseed, canola or corn oil.  The pricier brands may contain safflower, olive, peanut or other types of cold pressed oils that lend more flavor to the marinade.

After you've made your choice, be sure to shake the bottle well before applying it to the meat.  More delicate meats or fish will only need a brief encounter with your marinade to get the best effect.  Tougher cuts or darker meats may need to be marinated for longer, sometimes even over night.

Be sure to use a non-reactive container for this, and if possible, turn the meat at least once around mid point to be sure it stays in contact with the flavorings.  Plastic zip lock bags are great for this purpose.

But remember the best marinades are often the ones you make yourself.  Be brave, and take a moment to test a few different recipes out in your kitchen.  It's fun and your friends just may ask for the recipe.

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