Red meat, which has an important place in both Turkish and world cuisine, must be marinated in order to be used deliciously in recipes. One of the most frequently asked questions by people who want to cook meats like Turkish delight that melts in your mouth is how to marinate meat. Marinating your meat according to the recipe ensures that the meat reaches a structure like Turkish delight that melts in your mouth and its flavor increases many times. For this reason, marination must be done before cooking meat dishes. Since the sauces used and the methods applied while marinating have a direct effect on the taste of the meat, it is very important for cooks to be careful at this point.
Meat Marinating Process
Red meat and chicken purchased from the butcher are not ready for cooking because they have not been seasoned. For this reason, consumers need to go through some processes to make these meats ready for cooking. Meat marinating practices are at the forefront of these processes. The marination process, which is carried out to reduce the feeling of hardness and bring the meat to a suitable consistency for chewing, also helps change the taste of the recipe positively. In addition to the powder and herbaceous spices you choose according to your taste, various oils also become an important part of the marinade preparation. The first stage of the marinating process is to clean the meat from nerves, fat and bones.
The red meat to be marinated should be cut into approximately 1.5 fingers thick. The reason for cutting is that the prepared marinade sauce is absorbed by the meat easily and quickly. When you try to marinate a thick meat, the outside of the meat will be marinated while the inside will not. For this reason, the meat must be cut in ideal sizes and smoothly. The prepared sauce should be poured over the pieces cut in ideal sizes. It is very important to make sure that the sauce reaches every part of the meat. Depending on the marinade recipe used, the marinating process may vary between 2 hours and 24 hours. For chicken meat, the marinating process varies depending on the type of meat. For example, pieces such as drumsticks, wings, and cutlets should be marinated without any extra cutting.
Marinade Sauce Types
Marination application has a direct effect on the texture, taste and cooking time of the meat; It helps you get successful results in your recipes. Sauce types are one of the things that people who will marinate meat are most curious about. The most commonly used sauces when marinating red meat are as follows:
Black Pepper and Salt Sauce: It is among the most preferred marinade sauces. It is obtained by mixing black pepper, rock salt, olive oil, garlic and vinegar. A marinating time of 2 hours is sufficient for this sauce.
Balsamic Vinegar Sauce: Balsamic vinegar sauce, which is among the popular sauces, helps the meat reach a soft consistency that melts in the mouth. A mixture of soy sauce, onion, thyme, brown sugar, olive oil and balsamic vinegar provides effective marination for your meat. A waiting time of 2 hours is sufficient for this sauce.
In addition to all these, ingredients such as yoghurt, milk, oil, onion juice, thyme, tomato juice and tomato paste can also be used for meat marination. It is important not to pound the meat to be marinated in order to retain its flavor. For ideal cooking, the sealing process should be used. The prominent marination methods for red meat and the prominent marination formulas for chicken meat are as follows:
Tomato Paste and Yogurt Sauce: This sauce, prepared using yoghurt and tomato paste, is suitable for use on all different types of chicken meat.
Garlic and Lemon Sauce: This sauce, prepared with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt and pepper, gives chicken meat a unique softness and flavor.
Meat mixed with sauce must be kept in the refrigerator to be marinated. Marinated meat should not be placed in the freezer section. By paying attention to all these points and recipes, you can create recipes that suit your taste. By visiting Butcher Emre, Dubai's first Turkish butcher, you can get delicious and safe meat that will suit your taste, and prepare unique recipes for both yourself and your loved ones.