Marinade is a great ally when it comes to getting tender and tasty meat. The secret to success lies in the art of properly measuring the ingredients and marinating depending on your chosen cut. For example, meat that is already tender, such as pork tenderloin, can be marinated mostly to add flavours—it takes just a few hours to get a good result. On the other hand, a slightly tougher meat, such as pork sirloin cubes, can be marinated for 24 hours for greater tenderness.
Top ingredients for a great marinade
A marinade is an aromatic blend that must always contain three basic ingredients:
- The first is an acidic element such as lemon or citrus juice, wine, vinegar or plain yogurt, because it is the acidity that helps tenderize the meat’s fibres.
- The second is a fat, such as oil, butter or even coconut milk, since the flavour is transferred by fat molecules.
- The third type of ingredients includes herbs and spices. Seasonings add taste and flavour to the meat. These include garlic, spices such as rosemary or cumin, hot sauce or soy sauce.
Time-saving tips
Did you know that you can marinate different cuts like loin, tenderloin, skewers or chops before freezing them? Doing so saves you time and gives you a variety of tasty and aromatic options while letting you store ready-to-cook meat without excess salt and additives.
Method
Mix marinade ingredients in a resealable or airtight bag, add pork and freeze. Keeps for 3 months in the freezer. Thaw 24 hours in advance in the refrigerator. It is important to choose fresh, unthawed pork to avoid freezing the meat a second time.
