the.com/marinate
the patient art of letting time do flavor's heavy lifting while you nap
means To soak food in a seasoned liquid before cooking so it absorbs flavor and grows tender, or by extension to let something steep in conditions over time.
from From the Italian 'marinare,' to pickle in brine, which traces back to the Latin 'marinus' meaning 'of the sea' — itself from 'mare,' the sea. The original brine was essentially seawater, salty enough to preserve, so the word still carries the tang of the ocean in every bowl of marinade.
- acid limit
- too long and acid turns meat to mush
- surface only
- marinades barely penetrate past a few millimeters
- salt wins
- salt outperforms most marinade ingredients for deep flavor
- word origin
- comes from the Italian for soaking in brine
- bag trick
- vacuum bags speed up flavor by removing air
ceviche — peruvian dish where raw fish is cured in citrus juice for 15-30 minutes, originating in lima
korean bulgogi — beef marinated in soy sauce, sugar, and sesame at korean bbq restaurants for 2-24 hours
jamaican jerk chicken — chicken marinated in scotch bonnet peppers and allspice at kingston street vendors overnight