What Is Marinating? How to Make a Meat Marinade

How to Make a Meat Marinade? How to Marinate Meat?

To enhance the flavor of white or red meat and ensure it cooks up more delicious and tender, marinating is a must. The taste of marinated meats lingers on the palate. The secret is actually simpler than you think — all you need to do is prepare a sauce. Let's take a look together...

What Is Marinating?

Marinade, marinat, or terbiye — they all mean the same thing. Marinating is the general term for sauces made with liquid and acidic ingredients, built on a base of salt and spices. It's a process done before cooking that adds flavor and tenderness to the meat.

How Is the Marinating Process Done?

Pour olive oil into a bowl. Remember, olive oil is the most important element in marinating! Along with the olive oil, you can use plenty of spices. The spices you choose depend somewhat on your preferences and taste. However, it's important not to use salt! Because using salt in a marinade — that is, using salt before the cooking process — can cause the meat to become tough rather than tender. For this reason, you can use any spices you like except salt. Adding salt during cooking is a key point! Place your meat in this prepared sauce, mix it thoroughly, and then let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. You can even cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight. If you don't have that much time, you need to keep it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. However, if your marinade contains highly acidic ingredients such as lemon or vinegar, take care not to marinate for too many hours.

How to Make Marinade Sauces?

Using plenty of garlic is another flavor secret. You can also use acidic ingredients like lemon, balsamic vinegar, or wine. The ingredients that tenderize meat the most are yogurt, kefir, and whey. For spices, you can use whole black pepper, fresh or dried thyme, rosemary, sage, or basil. If you prefer tangier flavors, you can use lemongrass, soy sauce, salça (Turkish tomato/pepper paste), or lemon. If you prefer sweeter flavors, you can use honey and pekmez (Turkish grape molasses). Of course, there's no rule that says you have to use them all separately. You can combine one acidic ingredient, one spicy ingredient, and one sweet ingredient together — that way you capture all the flavor profiles at once.