If you ask anyone, even the most experiencedcook, what is his favorite marinade for meat, then it is unlikely that he will be able to get a clear answer from him. After all, for many centuries of its existence, mankind has accumulated simply an incredible number of recipes for their preparation. Yes, yes, we did not make a reservation. It is for centuries. Because the pioneers in this business were still the ancient Egyptians. To preserve the freshness of meat, they dissolved sea salt in water, and then soaked it in this brine. Already later, in Southern Europe, salt was replaced with vinegar. And this marinade for meat is so popular with cooks that even today, despite the abundance of recipes, it finds its application. Over time, people thought of adding and all kinds of seasonings - herbs, spices, - which gave the pickled meat a special taste.

The main components of marinades

Any existing marinade for meat is simply required to have three basic ingredients in its composition. It is a fragrance, some acid and fat.

Acidic environment contributes to the fact that meatfibers soften, resulting in a ready dish is more gentle. Fat (as a rule, this oil) as it envelops meat, as a result of which, during cooking, the juice stays inside. Well, with flavors and without explanations everything is clear. They add flavor and flavor to the dish.

And now a few words about each component. As an acid, as a rule, all kinds of vinegars available to modern cooks are used. Also great for these purposes is kefir, yoghurt, juices of acidic fruits (lime, lemon, pomegranate). Not bad proved yourself and mayonnaise, which, in fact, contains all three basic ingredients (if it is with aromatic additives).

As for fats, everything depends on the "nationality" of the cuisine. So, in the Mediterranean olive is preferred, and in the East sesame is often used.

Perhaps, the mentioned nationality also affectstype of aromatic additive. For example, in Chinese cuisine, almost every second marinade for meat contains garlic, green onions and ginger. The French like to add vegetables (carrots + onions + celery). Mexicans adore burning marinades, therefore almost in each of them there is a hot pepper.

In general, by and large, marinade for meat -A fertile soil for culinary activities. Here you can experiment and almost every day to create your own masterpieces, while not forgetting, however, the basic rules of marinating. What, in fact, will be discussed further.

Basic bases of marinating

As a rule, almost everyone used for meatmarinade does not require cooking. But there are exceptions. For example, the French are preparing marinade from boiled red wine, adding to it juniper. But Mexicans sometimes bake before adding their favorite peppers to sauce, to give the marinade a richer, somewhat smoked taste.

As for the dishes: Take tanks that do not react to acid. For this reason, metal or aluminum utensils will not work. Take containers of porcelain, clay or glass. It is not necessary that the marinade cover the meat completely. Pieces can from time to time just turn over or interfere.

About time of preparation. Follow the recipe requirements. The principle of "let it stay a little longer" does not fit here. Meat, too long lying in marinade, can simply become tasteless, sour.

And the last. Before directly preparing the process, be sure to make the marinade stack with the pieces. Because they are wet, for example on a grill, they will rather stew rather than fry.

And remember: you can not use the marinade again. There are too many bacteria in it. Even if you want to water them during frying, say, barbecue, do not be lazy, put the composition in a saucepan on the stove and quickly bring (but do not boil!) To a boil. Believe me, you will be healthier.

Well, this, I think, is enough theory. Let's move on to practice. So, marinade recipes for meat. Getting started!

The easiest way

Naturally, it will be a marinade for meat with vinegar. By and large, almost everyone who cooked kebabs, previously kept him in this composition. What actually gives such a marinade? Soft meat. No more. But sometimes this is enough.

We need three hundred grams for cookingonions, a cup (250 milliliters) of ordinary vinegar (nine percent), black peppercorns and, of course, salt. It will not be superfluous and a bag of seasoning - special, just for kebabs.

How to cook

Pork (preferably) cut arbitrarily, into pieceswe need the size, put the meat in a container. We cut the onion cut with ringlets with seasoning, salt and, of course, vinegar, add all this to the meat. Then we add waters (cold, but boiled) so that marinade completely covered our future shish kebab. Poured peas there pepper, you can add a couple of leaves of laurel. Everything. We put on all night in the refrigerator. In the morning, you can go on a picnic and fry kebabs.

Compound the composition

As we already mentioned, the preparation of the marinade formeat is a creative process, and therefore nothing prevents us from improving the first recipe. Why take the same onion (three large things will be enough), four cloves of garlic, three teaspoons (do not overdo it!) Sweet paprika, a pinch of hot peppers, large lemon and a couple of tablespoons of banal sunflower oil. Not be superfluous and a bunch of parsley.

Cut into small rings and mix it withsmall chopped garlic. Add peppers, pour in oil, salt, squeeze the juice from our large lemon. Leave a minute to thirty. During this time, it will be possible just to prepare the meat - wash it and cut into pieces of the required size. And after the specified time we add meat to the marinade prepared by us, after which we forget about it until the morning. As for parsley, it can also be cut with onions and garlic. It will give the marinade a more interesting flavor. But here we must be more careful. Anyone who does not really like this green, the smell of the finished dishes may not like it.

However, what are we all about kebabs. Not so often, unfortunately, today we manage to get out on a picnic. But at home just have to cook every day. So let's talk further about other recipes that will be useful for hostesses in everyday conditions.

Marinade for meat for frying in a pan

As it often happens that cooking well, justonce! Of course, a good piece of meat can satisfy any, even demanding and extremely roomy male stomach. True, cooked in a hurry, it is not always able to please our taste buds. What to do in this case? Of course, use marinade for meat! For frying in a pan are suitable not only fresh pieces. Meat can be marinated. And to do it in the evening. And after work, quickly cook a delicious dinner out of it.

Take a glass of any (brand does not havevalues) of beer, a few (four things will be enough) cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of such a wonderful seasoning as thyme, lemon, ground pepper (red). All this mix, just do not forget to cut the citrus, and then put the marinated portions of meat. Just remember: it is necessary that it lay in this mixture for at least two hours. Well, the best thing, of course, is to leave for the night. Everything. The meat that has been in such a marinade will be very tender, soft and unusually tasty. And no one will dare to accuse you that “today we have a dried out sole again for dinner”.

"Instant" marinades

Do not have time to cook meat for tomorrow from the evening? No problem! There are instant ways to help make it soft and tasty. We look in the fridge. And if there is mayonnaise and tomato sauce, then rejoice. Mix them, add chopped garlic + favorite seasoning. Half an hour of marinating, ten minutes of cooking - and on your table a great dinner.

And you can mix yogurt or sour cream with choppedsmall onions and pickles. Also a great marinade for roasting meat. Just do not forget to add, of course, seasoning. Anyone who likes it more.

Marinade for meat with soy sauce

The latter is a great replacement already.to all the vinegar. Marinade with soy sauce gets along with all kinds of meat. And cooking it is very simple. To do this, take a hundred milliliters of the sauce itself, the juice of half a lemon, mix. Crush the garlic clove, add to the previous ingredients. Add this mixture to a quarter teaspoon of ground pepper. And add a pinch of basil.

Just remember: do not add salt to the marinade. After all, the sauce itself contains a lot of it, so be careful, try the composition during cooking. By the way, this marinade is quite “fast”. Beef in it can be kept no more than three hours. So by all means take this way to yourself on a note.

A small digression

And since we are talking about soy, I would like tosay a few words about another product from it, which some people call meat. Everyone, as they say, has his own taste, and a healthy diet is, of course, very good. However, such meat, albeit very healthy, does not always please with its smell, much less taste. And here marinade will come to our rescue. For soy meat, there are not so many options for its preparation; nevertheless, there is something in the cooking money box anyway.

So, we arm ourselves with coriander seeds (enoughthere will be halves of a teaspoon), turmeric (one third of the same spoon), cardamom (take the same), a tablespoon of lemon juice, a mixture of peppers (here to taste), tomato paste (one hundred fifty grams, not more), three tablespoons of table oil (any vegetable). All these ingredients are mixed, and then pour the resulting composition previously soaked in boiling water for ten minutes, soy meat. Marinas night (keep in the fridge). Well, then from such meat, you can cook anything. Say, goulash, or even bake on coals. Experienced people say that it turns out excellent dish. But here, of course, just that moment when it is not necessary to argue about tastes, as they say.

Marinades for smoked meat

Who among us does not like to eat smokeddelicacies? Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to cook such goodies on their own. But if it is available, then, of course, you will need to know which marinade is best for smoking meat. There are also quite a few recipes for their preparation, but we will talk about a few - the very best.

Marinade with ketchup

Take half a glass of tomato ketchup,white wine, olive oil and honey. Then add to it a teaspoon of garlic, pre-chopped, a mixture of peppers, dry mustard and salt. Pour meat with this composition. This marinade recipe for smoking meat is good because you can keep the last in it for no more than three hours.

On kefir

To make such a marinade for smoking meat,you need to take a cup of kefir, a teaspoon of sugar, fifty grams, no more than olive oil, a third cup of mint leaves (crushed), stuff five slices of garlic (crush with a knife). All this mix, salt and pepper as you like. Marinate at least eight hours.

We have offered only two recipes from many,available to owners of smokehouses today. All of them are very diverse, and for the most part, as a rule, the author. So you can easily take as a basis the ones we have considered, and then come up with their own options based on them. The only thing recommended by experts. If you are cooking meat for the future, be sure to add another ingredient to the marinade - food nitrate. That it will allow the product to be stored as long as possible. As for its quantity, it is usually taken not more than three percent of the required volume of salt.

And finally, consider a few recipes for unusual marinades.

Fruit

This marinade is usually used when they want to cook beef steaks.

To do this, you need to first clear and thengrate a large kiwi grater (two large copies will be enough). Then add to them a pinch of rosemary and a mixture of your favorite peppers. Salt, and then marinate in this mixture of steaks. The exposure time is at least an hour. Before cooking, do not forget to dry steaks with a napkin. Fry preferably in a hot skillet. And although the marinade is somewhat unusual, the taste of the final product is simply amazing!

"Drunk" marinades

The permanent ingredient in such formulations is either wine or brandy. Maybe even a beer. We mentioned one such recipe above. And now let's talk about a few more, but already at fault.

Carrot (one thing is enough) and twocut sufficiently large onions. Crush the garlic (several cloves). All this is added to the meat previously laid in the dishes, pour a glass of wine (white dry), as well as half a glass of vegetable (any) oil. Salt, toss a few peas of black pepper and a couple of laurel leaves. Mix gently. Pickle for about eight hours. By the way, by the way. Without marinade, such meat can be stored for another two days. So take this “long-playing” recipe for sure.

Very often white wine is mixed with fruitjuices. For example, an Austrian recipe suggests making a mix of a glass of wine and three glasses of pineapple juice. Ground black pepper is used as seasoning. And the Argentinean version suggests the presence of two cups of grapefruit juice and half a glass of lemon juice and wine. In addition, it is recommended to add a teaspoon of curry.

An excellent marinade for almost any meat -a mixture of apple juice (a whole half liter of a drink is already taken here), a glass of brandy, finely chopped one onion, marjoram and turmeric (you need to take a pinch of these ingredients).

Conclusion

Definitely describe all existing recipesalmost impossible. After all, as we have already mentioned, all marinades can be done independently, based on the recommendations of the culinary experts and their own taste preferences. But one thing is certain. For meat, marinade is needed. After all, it is he who makes this product soft and gentle. Well, its components allow you to radically change the taste of many dishes that have long been familiar to us. So don’t be afraid. Do it! Create your own marinades, and let your home be praised for their imagination and extraordinary culinary skills.

Bon Appetit!