When it comes to absolute flavor from meat, you simply cannot underestimate the effectiveness of a good marinade. It can be very simple to make a delicious marinade, and if you do things correctly, it will make a world of difference when it comes time to actually enjoy your meat. Whether you’re marinating chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, beef, seafood, or anything else, a good marinade can literally transform any dish. The problem however, is that many people out there sadly do not know how to correctly use a marinade on meat, and not only are they missing out on flavour, they could also be putting their health, and the health of others, at risk. Here’s a look at 4 things NOT to do when marinating meat.

Not leaving the marinade on long enough – When you watch recipes online, or on the TV, often the recipe will call for you to ideally marinate the meat overnight, or perhaps over two nights. The reason for this is to simply allow all of the flavours in the marinade to permeate the meat and get inside it, where they can transform its taste and texture. Some people however, will throw together a marinade, coat the meat, and throw it in the fridge for an hour or two. In reality, this is pointless as it is simply not enough time for the meat to take on any real flavour. Once it is cooked, the flavour will quickly be lost. If you leave the meat for a long time however, the difference in taste will be astonishing.

Using salt in a marinade – Often, when people make simple marinades, say for example, a rosemary and garlic marinade for steak, they will throw in a heaped spoonful or two of salt. Salt and pepper work wonderfully well with meat, yet marinades should never contain salt. The reason for this is simply due to the fact that salt draws out moisture, so if you marinate the meat in salt, it will literally lose moisture and will dry out. A dry steak is the last thing you will want. Simply throw together the marinade as usual, but be sure to leave out the salt. Instead, salt the steak just before cooking, and perhaps add a sprinkling just after as well.

Using anything and everything – Another common mistake people make when marinating meat, is to simply throw in anything and everything. Often people will simply raid the pantry and, if something needs using up, they’ll throw it into the marinade. Remember, different meats require different marinades and herbs. Fish for example, works very well with dill, but heaps of sage would be a different story. Different herbs and spices can complement one another and will work with different meats, in different ways. Measure out everything, use ingredients that work together, and don’t throw something into your marinade just because it needs using up.

Not using enough oil – You often find that people trying to be healthy, will shy away from fats in their marinades, and will instead use very little, or none at all. In reality, oils work incredibly well in marinades, as they help to cling to the meat, whilst locking in moisture and flavour. Even if you are trying to lose weight or be healthy, you should not skip the oil when marinating your meat. Remember, much of the oil will be lost during the cooking process anyways, but not the flavour. If you go with a healthy olive oil, the dish will actually be equally as healthy as it is delicious.