MARINATING MEAT PROPERLY

How do I marinate meat for a braai? Often a marinade is simply stirred and the meat or other braai goods are marinated and simply placed on the grill. It is not so simple, however, if you want to have delicious marinated food. We explain what is important in marinating and which marinades exist.

Back in the days, marinating was a method for preserving meat. Nowadays, enjoyment is at the forefront, as the marinade makes meat and vegetables even more delicious, especially for braaing. A marinade can have different ingredients: It can be sweetened with sugar or honey, or stirred with vinegar, mustard, or ketchup. And of course there is the fruity variety and herb marinade. Every flavour has its charm, and there are some things to be observed in all.

In principle, the marinade should not be salted. It is better to salt the meat or the marinated vegetables only after grilling. It is also recommended to peel the marinade from the meat before putting it on the grill. Otherwise, too much of the marinade drips into the coals and toxic gases may be formed. Herbs that remain on the meat or vegetables may also burn too quickly, resulting in the spoiling of your cut of meat.

How long should you marinate meat?

Marinating meat requires more that merely coating the meat with marinade just before putting it on the braai. It is rather a matter of “getting the spice of the marinade into the meat.” Therefore, you should put the food in the marinade a few hours before braaing. It must be noted that meat or other products should be completely covered by the marinade. Once the meat is added, keep it in the refrigerator and remove it in good time before grilling so that the temperature difference is not too high as soon as it lands on the grill.

What types of marinades are there? 

Oil Marinade

Spareribs marinade:
Spareribs are excellent for marinating. Oil marinades are prepared with vegetable oil (because of the heat of the grill you should use rapeseed or sunflower oil). Various herbs, garlic, and spices like paprika are added to the oil.

Spice and herb marinade:
Spices and herb marinade are based on the oil marinades. Here you can chop up all the fresh herbs that match the meat type and add it to the oil marinade.

Acid marinades:
Acid marinades are mixed with vegetable oil, vinegar, or lemon juice. You should not forget herbs and spices. An acidic marinade makes the meat particularly delicate, as the acid environment ensures that protein contained in the meat coagulates. As a result, the meat becomes brittle and a pleasant consistency is obtained.

Sweet marinade:
Sweet marinades may have apple juice as the basis, or sugar or honey may be added. Even small-cut fruits such as pineapple or mango work in combination with ginger, spring onions, garlic, or soy sauce.

Rub or dry marinade:
A rub is made from chopped or dried herbs and other spices. All the ingredients are combined and the meat is mixed with it. On the meat, the rub acts as a pickle.

Creamy marinade:
A creamy marinade is made by using yoghurt, mustard, or ketchup. These serve as additional flavours besides added spices.