We have been marinating meats for a hundred years already. In history, the process of marinating is believed to have originated in various locations. Soy sauce-based marinades have been long used in Asia. In Latin America, before the start of the expeditions of the Europeans, papaya was first used to tenderize cuts of meat. Various accounts of use marinates in other parts of the world have been document as well.

By the way, what were marinade originally used for?

A hundred years before the invention of the refrigerator, our ancestors used many ways to preserve food. In order to prolong the shelf life of the foods, they employed various preservation methods. They mostly used salting, smoking, drying, and even spicing.

And marinating actually falls under the salting method. Because back then, marinades were basically just salty soup used to preserve the meat. In fact, marinate literally means “pickle in sea salt brine”.

Today, we use marinades for two main reasons: to tenderize meat, and flavor our food (do actually they?)

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How Marinades Tenderize Meat

Meat of animals is composed of proteins in the muscle fibers. Meat proteins have three classifications: connective tissues (collagens), myofibrillar (made up of myosin and actin), and sarcoplasmic (enzymes and myoglobin). The connective tissues act to support the bones during movement. The myofibrillar proteins perform muscle movement while the sarcoplasmic proteins are mainly responsible for metabolism.

The movement of the animal makes its meat tougher and harder to chew. The use of acids (usually citrus, and vinegar) and fruit enzymes make the meat softer by breaking down these proteins. Yes, some fruits are natural meat tenderizers because they contain enzymes that break down meat proteins. Most marinade recipes call for pineapples (for bromelain enzyme) and papayas (papain enzyme). Figs, mango, pears are also popular choices.

Fun fact: Ever wondered why eating pineapples give us a burning sensation in the tongue? It is because the bromelain is trying to breakdown the protein in the tongue. Thankfully, our tongue can regenerate pretty quickly.

Most marinade recipes today may include fat, oil, seasonings for flavor, acid and fruit enzymes. Some recipes may call for herbs and spices.

Does Marinating For Flavor Really Work?

Yes, marinades do flavor the meat. But contrary to popular belief, they only do their wonders on the surface up to a few millimetres (4 mm max) into the meat. Why? Most animal meat contains approximately 75% water, 18% protein, 5% fat, 1% carbohydrates, and 1% minerals. And most flavor molecules from marinades are too large to get through the meat tissue cells and find their way deep into the meat.

But salt do penetrate because it reacts with the water in the meat by drawing it out. It denatures the proteins when it draws back the water in the meat.

Careful though because the existence of salt in marinades is also a reason why meat should not be marinated for 24 hours. Longer than that will only cure meat on the outside. This will result in the mushy outer layer when cooked (who would want that, anyway?)

Half an hour of marinating will already give the meat aroma, and flavor while tenderizing the meat at the same time. As a rule, marinate meat in 30 minutes up to 24 hours.  It is also a better idea to go for thinner cuts of meat. This also shortens the cooking time.

Key Takeaways

• Add acid or fruit enzymes to marinade to tenderize meat.
• Marinades only works mostly on the surface of the meat up to a few millimetres deep.
• Marinade meat for 30 minutes-24 hours.

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