Kitchen Skills

MARINADE TIPS:

GET DOWN THE GENERAL RATIO. Most dressings (including store bought) can be used interchangeably as salad dressing or marinade. For classic vinaigrette, one part acid to two to three parts oil is a general rule to follow. The same ratio works for oil-based marinades. FLAVOR BIG. In addition to acid and fat, a marinade needs seasoning such as herbs, spices, salt and pepper. Why not make the flavors big? Remember, the seasoning needs to be strong enough to both flavor the grilled food and to withstand the intensity of the grill’s heat, char marks and drying. DO NOT OVERUSE MARINADE. You only need enough to coat. Not only is it wasteful to drown foods in marinade, but you want to save some for basting and finishing. Also, very little marinade will penetrate deeply into the meat; it’s mostly for the surface. In general, ½ cup of marinade will flavor 1 to 11/2 pounds of beef, lamb, pork, chicken or fish. Make sure all surfaces are coated with marinade by flipping them over on all sides until you get good full coverage.

BE CAREFUL ABOUT TOO MUCH TIME IN THE

MARINADE. There is a tendency to think that more time equals more flavor, but more time means mostly more textural changes. The acid in the marinade breaks down or untangles the protein fibers, and meat can get mushy and dry, or even crumbly in the case of fish. The tougher the meat, the more time it can handle: Marinate fish for 15 to 20 minutes and chicken 30 minutes to 1 hour. Tougher cuts of beef or pork can handle up to 2 hours.

PRESERVE YOUR MEATS WITH LESS ACIDIC

MARINADES. While over marinating toughens meats and fish, you can use adjusted marinade formulas as short-term preservative, which adds a couple extra days in the cooler to meats and fish. To do this, weaken the acid in the marinade by doubling the oil or make a small batch of marinade with acid completely omitted. The dilution of the acid will slow the breakdown of fiber, while the marinade coating will help prevent oxidation and discoloration. ALWAYS RESERVE SOME OF THE MARINADE. Keep in mind that as soon as marinade touches raw meat or fish it is contaminated and cannot be used as a sauce. You will want to use extra marinade to baste grilled items as they cook and after they come off the grill to add shine and bump up flavor that was lost to cooking.

STORE MARINATED FOODS IN NON-REACTIVE

CONTAINERS. Use glass, stainless steel or ceramic— never aluminum. The aluminum will react with the acid, leach and discolor the food as well as add an acrid metallic flavor.

Spicy Citrus Soy Marinade MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP, 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Soy is a great addition to so many marinades. Here it is used with spicy serrano chilies and juiced oranges and limes. I particularly like this marinade with flank steak, but try it with almost any cut of beef as well as chicken, lamb, pork or fish. Shrimp would be great, too!

2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1 serrano chili, diced ¼ cup lime juice ¼ cup orange juice 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 cup olive oil ½ cup thinly sliced green onion (about 3 to 4 onions) 1 teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine garlic, salt, ginger and chili with lime juice and orange juice. 2. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. 3. Use immediately or transfer to a jar or lidded container and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

Chermoula Marinade MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP, 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Chermoula is a punchy sauce used in North African cuisines. Often paired with fish, it also works well with beef, lamb, pork, or chicken.

3 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons salt ½ cup lemon juice 1 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon paprika ½ tablespoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 pinch cayenne 1 cup minced parsley (flat leaf or curly)

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine garlic with salt and lemon juice. 2. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. 3. Use immediately or transfer to a jar or lidded container and refrigerate for up to 7 days. 

Robin Asbell spreads the word about how truly delicious and beautiful whole, real foods can be through her work as an author, cooking teacher and private chef. She likes to create delicious dishes that range from meat and seafood to beans and grains using global flavors. Her latest book is “Plant-Based Meats.” She is also the author of “300 Best Blender Recipes Using Your Vitamix”; “Great Bowls of Food: Grain Bowls, Buddha Bowls, Broth Bowls and More”; “Juice It!”; “Big Vegan: Over 350 Recipes, No Meat, No Dairy, All Delicious”; “The New Vegetarian”; and “Gluten-Free Pasta.”

Lara Miklasevics began her food career on the other side of the camera, cooking at the renowned New French Café in Minneapolis. Today her work as a stylist is in demand at corporations including Heinz, Target and General Mills, as well as with many magazines. She prides herself on using her experience as a chef to make food as appealing on the page as it is on the plate.

Molly Stevens is a cooking instructor, writer and recipe developer. Her cookbooks include “All About Dinner” as well as the James Beard and IACP cookbook award winners “All About Braising” and “All About Roasting.” She has been named Cooking Teacher of the Year by both Bon Appétit and IACP. Stevens’ recipes and articles have appeared regularly in a number of national publications. She lives in Vermont and travels the country to teach, cook and eat. Find out more about her writing and teaching schedule at mollystevenscooks.com.

Tara Q. Thomas is a lapsed chef who trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She used to enjoy going out to dinner before she had kids—now, she prefers to interview chefs, gathering intel on how to make home dinners better. Thomas writes for several magazines, most prominently Wine & Spirits, where she is an editor and wine critic covering European wines. She has also contributed to the “Oxford Companion to Cheese” and the “Oxford Companion to Spirits.” She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Terry Brennan is a photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Clients include Target, General Mills, Land O’Lakes and Hormel. “Working with Real Food is a highlight for me—I look forward to every issue. I love working with the creative team and, of course, sampling the wonderful recipes.”

Jason Ross is a chef consultant for restaurants and hotels, developing menus and concepts for multiple high profile properties. He grew up and trained in New York City but now calls St. Paul, Minnesota, home. Currently, he teaches the next generation of chefs at Saint Paul College Culinary School.

Barton Seaver is a leading sustainable seafood expert and educator. Before leaving the restaurant industry, he was an award-winning chef leading top seafood restaurants in Washington, D.C. He has written seven seafood-centric books including “The Joy of Seafood,” “For Cod and Country,” and “Two If By Sea” and has contributed to Every Day with Rachael Ray, Fine Cooking, The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine and the Washington Post. He has appeared on “60 Minutes,” CNN, NPR, “20/20” and the TED stage and hosted “In Search of Food” on the Ovation Network and “Eat: The History of Food” on National Geographic TV. He lives in coastal Maine, a stone’s throw away from a working waterfront, with his wife, son and their flock of heritage chickens.