Marinades For Meats, Fruits and Vegetables

Marinades are an easy way to prepare tasty, delicious foods, from meats to
fruits and vegetables. They tenderize tough cuts of meat, act as a
preservative, add flavor, and cut calories and fat if used as a substitute
for rich sauces. For this column, I will concentrate on liquid marinades
that can be quickly made using commercial products.

Liquid marinades contain an acid, such as vinegar or fruit juice, and an
oil, with herbs, spices and other ingredients for additional flavor. The
combination of acid and oil serves two purposes when used with meats,
poultry, or fish. The acid breaks down connective tissues which tenderizes,
while the oil keeps food moist and spreads flavor throughout the dish.

There are two rules that always apply when marinating. First, because the
high acid content can cause reactions with certain materials, use glass,
stainless steel, plastic, or enamel bowls or containers--NEVER use aluminum!
Second, use a container that will hold the food in a single layer (a
self-sealing plastic bag is perfect). Allow ½ cup of marinade per pound of
meat or other food, as the liquid only needs to come halfway up--drowning
the food is not necessary. If marinating meats or fish for long periods of
time, season them in the refrigerator, then bring the food to room
temperature before cooking.

Select a marinade that will enhance but not overpower the food. For a
stronger flavor, use cooked marinades and/or longer marinate times. Always
cool a cooked marinade before using it, and remember to prepare any marinade
long enough ahead of time to allow the flavors to blend. For a mild flavor
you need marinate only 30 minutes, while for a stronger one, marinate up to
24 hours in the refrigerator. Small cubes or thin pieces of meat require
only 4 hours, and fish either needs 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature, or
no more than 2 hours in the refrigerator. Never marinate for longer than 24
hours, or the food texture can turn to mush.

Before cooking, remove the food from the marinade, drain, and reserve the
liquid if you want to baste with it. Since marinades usually don't contain
sugar or tomato sauce that burn easily, they can be used as a basting sauce
all during cooking. If you are going to serve it as a side dish, be sure to
cook the sauce before serving.

RECIPES -------------

Habanero Mustard Marinated Mushrooms

This recipe has a double hit of habanero both in the oil and in the mustard.
For a milder version, cut down the marinating time and/or use unflavored
olive oil.


1 pound Cremini or white button mushrooms

1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh preferred

1 cup habanero-infused oil

3 tablespoons habanero mustard

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

1 tablespoon capers, drained

Salt to taste

Chopped fresh parsley

Clean the mushrooms well using a soft brush. Trim the tough end, remove any
dark spots, and leave the stems on the mushrooms. Place in nonreactive
saucepan, sprinkle with a little of the lemon juice, and cover with water.
Simmer until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, drain and place in a
nonreactive bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, mustard, and garlic and pour over the
mushrooms. Marinate at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

Toss with the onions and capers and season with salt. Refrigerate for up to
1 week before serving.

Bring to room temperature, drain, and garnish with the parsley before
serving.

Serves: 6 to 8 as an appetizer
Heat Scale: Hot


Chicken Peanut Satay

Pronounced "saa-tay", these very popular Southeast Asian snack foods make
delicious appetizers or a great barbecue dish, and are made with a variety
of meats and seafood. For this recipe I have used chicken, cut in
traditional strips and threaded on wooden skewers. Substitute pork, or even
chicken wings.

Wooden or metal skewers

2 tablespoons crushed dried red chiles

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Asian-style chile oil

1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh preferred

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

½ cup chunky peanut butter

½ cup coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Mix the chiles, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, lime juice, and ginger together in
a nonreactive dish or plastic bag. Place the chicken in the marinade and
marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator, turning frequently. Remove
the chicken and save the marinade.

If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for ½ hour to prevent
them from burning on the grill. Thread the chicken strips on the skewers.
Grill the chicken over charcoal, basting frequently with some of the
marinade, until done.

Combine the reserved marinade, peanut butter, coconut milk, and cumin in a
saucepan. Simmer the sauce for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, to
thicken.

Arrange the satays on a platter and serve with the peanut sauce on the side
for dipping.


Serves: 6 as an appetizer
Heat Scale: Medium


Rosemary Scented Lamb Chops

Anyone who has eaten at my house knows that sooner or later they will have
something flavored with two of my favorites--chiles and rosemary. Depending
on your preference, the marinade can be strained before reducing. This
recipe will also work well with ribs, roasts, or even cubed lamb, which can
be made into kebabs.

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup red wine vinegar

3/4 cup chile-flavored mustard

3/4 cup chile-and-herb-infused olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons minced onion

2 to 3 chiltepins, crushed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 lamb chops

Combine the lemon juice, wine, vinegar, and mustard together in a
nonreactive bowl. Whisk the mixture while slowly adding the oil in a steady
stream. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the lamb, and mix well.

Marinate the lamb in the mixture for an hour at room temperature.

Remove the lamb and reserve the marinade.

Grill or broil the lamb chops to desired doneness.

Place the reserved marinade in a saucepan and simmer the sauce, stirring
occasionally, until reduced by one half, about 20 minutes.

To serve, place some of the cooked marinade on a plate and arrange the chops
on top. Additional sauce can be served on the side.

Serves: 4
Heat Scale: Medium


Cashew Orange Spice Chicken

This hot and sweet dish can be made even hotter by using chile-spiked soy
sauce. Sichuan peppercorns are readily available in Asian markets as well as
in large grocery stores.

½ cup orange juice, fresh preferred

2 tablespoons rice wine

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 teaspoon crushed Sichuan peppercorns

1 teaspoon peanut oil

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cubed

2 tablespoons chile oil, either Asian or habanero

6 small dried red chiles, such as japonese or piquin

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup cashews, either pieces or halves

3 green onions, chopped including the tops

Combine the orange juice, rice wine, soy sauce, orange zest, Sichuan
peppercorns, and peanut oil in a nonreactive bowl. Toss the chicken in the
mixture and marinate for 1 hour. Remove, drain, and reserve the marinade.

Heat the chile oil in a wok or heavy pan to about 350 degrees. Add the
chiles and sauté for a minute. Add the ginger and stir-fry for an additional
minute. Add the chicken and stir-fry until done. Remove and keep warm.

Add the marinade to the wok or pan and heat until boiling. Slowly stir in
enough of the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. Return the chicken to
the wok and heat thoroughly.

Pour the chicken over the rice, garnish with the cashews and onions and
serve.

Serves: 4
Heat Scale: Hot


Hot and Crisp Jicama Sticks

These pickled jicama sticks are easy to prepare and the basic recipe can be
used for a variety of tender cooked vegetables such as green beans, carrots,
and asparagus. They can be eaten as early as 24 hours after marinating, and
they will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

3/4 pound jicama, cut in sticks

3 to 4 dried red chiles, such as piquins or cayennes

2 cloves garlic, whole

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

3/4 cup chile-infused vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

Pack the jicama sticks vertically in a pint jar. As you are placing the
sticks, put in the chiles, garlic, and onion slices.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir to
dissolve the sugar and immediately pour over the vegetables. Save any extra
marinade. Cover and gently tap the jar to release any air bubbles.
Refrigerate overnight. Periodically check to make sure the sticks are still
covered with the liquid, add the reserved marinade as needed.

Serve chilled, 24 hours or up to 3 weeks after marinating.


Yield: 1 pint
Heat Scale: Mild
NOTE: This recipe requires advance preparation.


Pungent Pork Vindaloo

Vindaloo describes a style of cooking whereby the meat or fish is marinated
and then cooked in a vinegar-based sauce. This recipe can also be used for
beef or lamb. Add ground cayenne to the recipe if more heat is desired.

3 teaspoons ground red New Mexican chile

½ cup cider or chile-infused vinegar

6 tablespoons Asian chile oil, divided

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 ½ pounds cubed pork

1 small onion, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups cooked rice

Chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the chile, vinegar, ½ of the oil, cumin, ginger, cloves, cinnamon,
and turmeric in a nonreactive bowl. Toss the pork in the mixture and
marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the pork and reserve the
marinade.

In a heavy saucepan, brown the pork in the remaining oil. Add the onions and
continue to sauté until the onions are soft.

Add the marinade and the broth to the pork. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat
and simmer until the meat is very tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Serve the vindaloo over the rice, garnished with the cilantro.

Serves: 4
Heat Scale: Medium
NOTE: This recipe requires advance preparation.