Beyond Taste: The Benefits of Food Marinating
Whether you wish to host a BBQ with friends or make a nice meal for your family, marinating your food can be a game-changer. To marinate is to soak food in a mixture of spices and other flavorful ingredients before cooking. This process enhances the taste of the dish.
However, the taste is not all that marinating does for food. Below are other benefits that make this technique worth your while.
Tenderizes
Meat can be tough to chew. If you don't marinate, you may have to cook your steak for a longer time to make the meat more tender.
You can eliminate the hassle by marinating your meat for some time before cooking. First, when you marinate, you introduce moisture into the meat. Moreover, the various enzymes in your marinade weaken the fibers in the meat. As a result, your steak will be more tender when you cook meat.
However, note that you should not soak your food in the marinade for so long. While the idea may seem like the best way to get the flavor and tenderness you desire, if you marinate for too long, your meat — especially fish — may become mushy.
Keeps Food Moist
When you bake meat, the food may turn out dry and rubbery. The reason is that the muscle fibers contract and squeeze out the moisture in the meat during baking.
Marinating your food before cooking can keep the meat moist. The reason is that the salt in the marinade creates gaps for moisture to seep in. Additionally, the fat ingredient in your marinade helps to transfer the soluble flavors on the meat to allow the food to retain moisture. Therefore, if you want moist and tender food, consider marinating your ingredients.
Adds Flavor
Spices can enhance the flavor of your food. When you marinate your food, the herbs in your mixture will seep deep into the food and break down the flavors. As a result, you will have a more flavorful meal.
In addition, since the flavors are locked inside the food, your dish will be more consistent in taste.
Makes the Food Healthier
Marinating reduces the risk of unhealthy bacteria such as listeria. The acidic ingredients in your marinade, such as vinegar and lemon juice, kill bacteria. As a result, you can be sure that the food you eat is safe and free from harmful bacteria.
Furthermore, if you don't marinate your meat, you may have to boil or grill the meat at high temperatures to soften. These processes introduce carcinogenic substances known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) into the food. The substances are harmful to your health and may cause cancer.
On the other hand, if you marinate your meat, you minimize the risk of HCAs formation. The reason is that since marinade softens the food, you don't have to cook it for long. Additionally, you don't have to use too much heat to obtain your desired final temperature.
The quality of your marinade will determine the outcome of your dish. Therefore, don't rush to pick the first over-the-counter marinade you find. Instead, take time to research to choose a healthy and high-value marinade like our Jamaican Jerk wet marinades to make your food juicier, softer, and healthier. Pay attention to the ingredients to ensure the marinade has everything to offer the benefits above.
Reggae Spice Company is your trusted provider for all your Jamaican Jerk Marinades and other instant wet marinades to save your time and energy. Our marinades are authentic and flavorful, to use on fish, pork, chicken, veggies, and any other food you choose. Visit our website to order or contact us for more information, or check our website to view our marinades.