The might of marinades: meat scientists have a different view of marinades than do chefs. For a restaurant chef, meat is marinated to improve the flavor and texture. Sometimes, the marinade is a part of a classic gourmet recipe such as sauerbraten. At other times, it is a signature elixir on which a chef has built a reputation

Prepared Foods, Sept, 2003 by J. Hugh McEvoy

Food scientists (and research chefs) know that a well-designed, functional marinade system alters protein structures, increases water binding abilities, adds flavors and actually increases yields. However, many meat scientists rarely use the term "marinade" at all. In fact, in Meat Science and Applications (Y. H. Hui and Robert W. Rogers, Marcel Dekker 2001), the word marinade is given less than 100 words ... in a 700-page book! Many chapters are devoted to brining, curing, flavoring and seasoning. In fact, the gourmet chef using a secret marinade and the food scientist with a Ph.D. are both working to achieve the same objective: added value. Be it called a brine, cure, bath or soak, it is still a marinade. Today's high-tech flavors and processes improve products and add value.

Some chefs tell us that "marinade" is derived from the Italian word "marinare," which means to soak or pickle in brine. The true origin of the word may be lost in history. Wherever the technique was created, marinades were used, traditionally, on lean, dry cuts of meat and had three primary functional ingredients: acid, oil or other liquid and aromatics. Acid was added to tenderize the meat by breaking down muscle fibers. Oil and other liquids were used to coat the meat so it remains moist during cooking. Aromatics, which were the heart of the marinade, created distinct flavor profiles or enhanced the primary protein.

From Kitchen Counter To Vacuum Tumbler

When designing a marinade system, the two most important functional ingredients are, perhaps, salt and phosphates. When combined, phosphate and sodium chloride work synergistically to modify muscle fibers by promoting swelling and myosin extraction. During rigor mortis, certain components of meat-muscle change, actomyosin forming from myosin and actin, which reduces water retention. The addition of phosphates--via a functional marinade--inhibits actomyosin formation. This will help hold water in the system. However, it is important to note the USDA restricts the concentration of phosphates to 0.5% in all final products.

Salt can be used to control purging of moisture, by modifying ionic strength in the solution. And, of course, salt increases water binding in meats by solubilizing proteins. Today's consumers are far more sodium-conscious than those of years past. Therefore, typical commercial marinades contain levels of sodium below 1%, compared to levels as high as 2% a decade ago. Of course, every chef knows that salt is a key flavor component. Caution must be exercised when reducing sadiron levels lest the final flavor of a product be negatively impacted.

While restaurant chefs may simply toss tonight's special into a Cambro container and cover the product in a flavorful liquid, modern processors use a variety of mechanical aids to speed and improve "pick up" and retention of the marinade.

Simply allowing meat to soak in a solution will yield only a shallow surface penetration. Meat tissue that comes in contact with acids or enzymes present in most marinades will begin to breakdown. If allowed to continue too long, the surface may become "mushy" long before the internal fibers absorb the desired flavors and fluids. The answer to this problem is injection, massaging and/or vacuum tumbling. While every manufacturing situation is different, generally, marinade temperatures should be as low as possible. All ingredients must be incorporated properly into the solution, and any particulates must be small enough to be effectively injected via needle. Injector dwell time, percentage of vacuum and time in the tumbler all need to be adjusted to each product.

How a marinade is incorporated must be based on the product size and the desired function of the marinade. Applying a marinade either by injection, tumbling/soaking or dry rub will change how the flavors are perceived. Injecting distributes the functional ingredients evenly throughout the product. The impact of tumbling and soaking actually depends on the size of the product. On a smaller item, the flavors will be distributed throughout the entire product while marinade particulates remain on the meat surface. When tumbling larger cuts of meat, the marinade will not easily penetrate or distribute evenly throughout the meat. Using a dry rub or tumbling the meat is best when trying to concentrate flavors on the meat surface.

From "Everyday" To Gourmet

Yakitori, Bombay Chicken Tikka and Sate' Ayoun are all simply grilled chicken until the bold and distinct flavors are provided by a marinade. Each of these chicken dishes acquires its unique character by soaking up the solution, creating a solid flavor foundation.

Like a sauce, a well-designed marinade will enhance and lend unique flavors to the product to which it is applied. Examples of this are on grocery store shelves. Consumers have developed an increasingly sophisticated palate and crave something unique. Due to this desire, the variety of commercially produced marinades is expanding rapidly. The flavor profiles of the marinades are becoming defined. For example, instead of just finding jerk marinades on the shell there is a tropical fruit jerk marinade or a spicy jerk marinade. Instead of Asian or Teriyaki sauce, it is Thai Red Curry, Korean Honey Sesame or Balinese Tomato sauces.