Whether the aim is to add extra flavour to your meal to create tender meat from a tough cut, marinating is one of the most used techniques to achieve that.
Besides meat, marinades can even be used on some vegetables.
Below, we look at the best marinades and the most convenient ways to use them, shared by chef and restaurateur Bertus Basson and culinary artist, Jessica Gavin.
Whether the aim is to add extra flavour to your meal to create tender meat from a tough cut, marinating is one of the most used techniques to achieve that. Picture:Supplied
Jessica Gavin’s tips:
Chicken marinade: This is great for the whole chicken or individual parts. If you’re planning to cook a whole chicken, consider using a technique called spatchcocking to flatten the carcass. Furthermore, cutting a chicken into smaller pieces or removing the skin will help absorb the marinade.
Steak marinade: A steak marinade is best for beef and pork. It is ideal for tougher cuts like flank, skirt, sirloin, round, and hanger. It also does wonders for pork tenderloin and pork loin, if the loin is cubed into smaller pieces. These cuts can marinate up to a day. Flat cuts of meat benefit the most from tenderising marinades.
Whether the aim is to add extra flavour to your meal to create tender meat from a tough cut, marinating is one of the most used techniques to achieve that. Picture:Supplied
Bertus Basson’s tips:
Peri-peri: This is a cracker on chicken. It is acidic and spicy.
Monkey gland marinade: This is a perfect marinade and basting for steak - especially rump. I know it is cheesy but it is very South-African. It is rather sweet but it helps with caramelisation for nice crispy fatty bits.
Curried pickle marinade: This is best for lamb - especially sosaties. It is like having a lamb curry on a stick. The marinade helps to break down the lamb.