What Should be the Marination Time?

If you are planning to cook non-vegetarian items then you must marinate it first. Marinating the food means that you are tenderizing tougher cuts of meat and imparting flavor and moisture to it. This flavor tends to be cooked and later melts in your mouth making the dish full of flavors and gives you the exotic burst of flavors in your mouth. Too busy with life? Hire Cook in Btm Layout Stage 1 by Chefed. Get the best from Chefed.

Marinades are a heavenly discovery. They add flavors to your simple food. Though there are certain rules to marinate your raw ingredients. Let’s begin with the following:

1- Thin or less dense food would take less time for marination. 

2- If your marinade contains acid (citrus juice, vinegars) then you should not marinate the food for a longer time.

3- Make sure you marinate your food in the refrigerator unless you are marinating it for 30 minutes or less, or the food items are vegetables. 

All about meat marination: You should never marinate meat in the room temperature. It is a complete no. Always marinate meat in the fridge.

Bigger roasts, like chuck roast, pork shoulder: 2 to 8 hours.

Tougher or larger steaks, like strip, London broil: 1 to 2 hours.

More tender cuts of meat, like sirloin, skirt or flank steak, lamb or pork chops: 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

Time required to marinate chicken:

Whole chicken: 4 to 12 hours

Bone-in pieces: 2 to 6 hours

Boneless pieces: 30 minutes to 2 hours

Time required to marinate fish & seafood:

Filets, scallops, shrimp: 15 to 20 minutes

Whole fish, thick fish steaks: 30 minutes

Time required to marinate soy products:

Tofu: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Seitan and tempeh: 1 to 6 hours

Time required to marinate vegetables:

Dense vegetables like carrots, squash, potatoes: 1 to 2 hours

Softer vegetables, like broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Can Marinade be used as a sauce?

1- Before you add the raw protein separate your marinade you want to use as a sauce.

2- One should never use leftover marinade or even serve that leftover marinade as a sauce. Why? Because the leftover marinade develops bacteria which can make you fall ill.

Never use the leftover marinade for marination. You can only try if they are veggies. The marinade should not be more than a few days. The marinade liquid gets contaminated once raw material is put into it. When marinating, try to use glass dish or zip tip plastic bag as the metal might react badly with the acid. Get the best food made for yourself from cooks at Chefed. Get the Best Cook in Koramangala from Chefed. 

Read our one more blog which is related to Food items to store and freeze for re-use- Part II