Now let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that may be included in the marinade. The classic recipe includes several required components: an acidic medium (wine, vinegar, sour fruit juice, natural yogurt https://greenelly.com/ or kefir), vegetable oil, spices and salt. Each of these components plays its own part in this orchestra. If you understand which one, you can create recipes to suit your taste, and not just use ready-made ones.
Vinegar
Due to its high acid content, vinegar helps quickly soften foods, especially meat. Wine vinegar infused with herbs, berries or spices is ideal for pickling as it enriches the marinade with a unique taste and aroma. At the same time, chemically produced table vinegar is not recommended for use as a marinade.
Wine
Wine is used as a base for many marinades that are suitable for meat, poultry, and fish. Moreover, for marinades they use dry table wine. The basic principle of compatibility: red and white go with meat, white wine goes with poultry and fish.
Fruit juices
It is better to use fruit juices for pickling either sour – lemon, lime, cranberry, or sweet and sour – orange, pineapple, pomegranate, apple. Juices contain special acids that can break down fats and proteins, making the foods that are pickled softer. Please note: the juices must be freshly squeezed, because only in this case they can give the dish a wonderful fruity aroma. They are used in the preparation of meat, fish, poultry, as well as vegetables and fruits.
Kefir and yogurt
Yogurt and kefir are suitable for marinating any food intended for cooking over an open fire. These dairy products are often used as a base for marinades in the East and India, where they are used with aromatic spices such as turmeric, ginger and cumin seeds. The lactic acid contained in yogurt and kefir makes the products tender, and the high fat content makes them oily.
Milk is also considered a soft base for marinating. Even in ancient times, this method was known in Rus’: fresh meat was poured with milk and left for several days. And when the milk had completely soured, the meat was taken out.
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil serves as an excellent conductor for spices and acids, preventing the product from cooking. During frying, the oil creates a protective film on the surface, retaining moisture and juiciness inside. While any vegetable oil is suitable for marinating, olive oil is the preferred choice.