ALL  ABOUT MARINADES

Over the years, I have created and accumulated many delicious barbecue marinade recipes that I would like to share with you.

Lower fat meats and poultry that have been trimmed of all visible fat need help in staying moist on a grill. Marinades do the job of tenderizing when the fat has been removed. Marinades are also full-flavored adding a new dimension of international tastes to a wide variety of foods cooked on an outdoor grill. Marinating times vary according to the foods. Red meats can marinate for eight hours, or overnight. However, chicken need only four to six hours of refrigerated time for the marinade flavors to permeate. Fish needs much less time to marinate — 30 minutes to one hour is sufficient for firm fish such as swordfish. Always marinate foods in glass or ceramic dishes  in the refrigerator. To save on clean up, I sometimes place the marinade and meat, chicken or fish in large heavy-duty plastic zip lock bags and place in the refrigerator to marinate. Whichever method you use, remember to turn the food regularly in the marinade so that all sides are flavored.

Grilled vegetables make for a delectable accompaniment to a barbecue feast. Summer squash, tomatoes, sweet onions, bell peppers, eggplant and my all time favorite — portabella mushrooms — are all candidates for grilling. Cut summer squash and other whole vegetables in thick slices or in halves. Portabella mushrooms should be grilled whole. Brush vegetables with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper and place on the grill. Depending on the thickness, vegetables take only minutes on each side. Remove grilled vegetables to a platter and drizzle on a little more extra virgin or other flavored olive oil and two tablespoons of gremolata (flat-leaf parsley, garlic and lemon zest minced together). Serve vegetables with any other grilled foods.

Papaya Curry

Purée all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Transfer marinade to a glass or ceramic dish and marinate 3 pounds of chicken pieces in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Makes 1 cup. 

Tangy Mustard

Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl or dish with sides. Refrigerate and marinate 4 salmon or 4 swordfish steaks for up to 1 hour. Yield: about 1 cup.

Mediterranean Herb

Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl or dish with sides. Refrigerate and marinate 4 lbs. of boneless butterflied leg of lamb, lamb cubes for shish-kebobs,  rack of lamb or pork chops for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. Yield: 1 ½ cups.

Bandito Barbecue

Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl. Grill chicken or ribs until almost done. Remove about 3/4 cup to another bowl and reserve to serve on the side.  Brush barbecue sauce on ribs or chicken during the last 10 - 15 minutes of cooking time.  Yield: 2 cups.

Teriyaki with Lemon and Honey

Mix ingredients in a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Heat in the microwave for 4 minutes on High to dissolve sugar and honey. Let cool before using as a marinade for fresh salmon fillet or mahi mahi. Marinate fish in a glass dish for two hours. Spray grill surface with oil to prevent fish from sticking. Alternatively, use a grill basket to hold fish while grilling. Fish can also be cooked wrapped in foil packets on the grill.

Purée all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pour marinade into a glass bowl or other non-reactive container and marinate 2-inch cubes of pork (2 lbs.) for at least 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Remove pork (reserve marinade) and thread cubes onto long metal skewers alternating the pork cubes with 2-inch pieces of red and green pepper, sweet onion, scallion and fresh pineapple chunks. In a small saucepan, bring reserved marinade to a boil. Use marinade to baste skewers as they grill. Serve each skewer over a bed of rice pilaf or couscous. Yield: 4 skewers

Blend all ingredients in a glass bowl. Use to marinate ribs, pork chops or flank steak for at least 8 hours before grilling over medium hot coals or a medium heated gas grill.

Korean Barbecue Sauce

Grilling over charcoal is a very popular method of cooking in Korean cuisine. Barbecued Kalbi (beef short ribs) are on every Korean restaurant menu. Here’s an easy version of this popular Korean dish:

Kalbi Ribs

Blend ingredients together in a glass dish with sides. Marinate thin slices of beef short ribs for up to 8 hours or overnight. Grill on a charcoal grill for 10-15 minutes. Yield: enough to marinate 2 pounds beef short ribs.