The Royal Chef At Home: Easy Seasonal Entertaining

INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT Dry Rubs,Wet Rubs &Marinades

T here is a lot of talk about rubs and marinades as great ways to add flavor to your grilled foods. But it does lead to a lot of confusion. When should you marinate and when should you rely on a rub?

MARINADES The biggest difference between marinades and rubs is that marinades typically include acid such as lemon or lime juice, vinegar, shredded papaya or alcohol which works to break down meat’s connective tissue and make it tender. How long you marinate meat depends on the kind of meat. If you are cooking a protein that is already tender—fish, chicken breast or beef filet—marinate briefly, no more than 2 hours (and in the case of fish, even less time may be sufficient—30 minutes can be plenty). Tougher cuts of meat should marinate from 4 hours to overnight. Don’t leave your meat marinating for longer than that or the texture will be mushy.

Remember:

• Place meat and marinade in a large, resealable plastic bag or a glass or ceramic bowl with plastic wrap on top. Metal bowls can interact with the acid and impart an off flavor. • Marinate food in the fridge. Meat sitting on the counter for too long, even with an acidic marinade, can start growing bacteria and can cause food poisoning. • Any leftover marinade in the bag or bowl can be used to baste the meat while it’s on the grill, up until the last 10 minutes of cooking. No matter how tasty it is, do not use leftover marinade as a sauce—it’s contaminated by the rawmeat. If you really want to re-use it, boil it for about 3 minutes. • Use approximately 1/4 cup of marinade for each pound of meat.

84 THE ROYAL CHEF AT HOME