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The art of marination

Fish can be marinated in olive oil

Thousands of years ago, the natives of the America discovered that wrapping meat in papaya leaves before cooking tenderised the meat and reduced cooking time. We now know that papain, an enzyme, is responsible for this effect. These days, chemical extracts of papain are commercially available and are widely used in food processing industries and home cooking. Indeed, the restaurant business would not exist without the extensive use of such marinades. Every nation has its own traditions when it comes to marination.

In India, the preferred marinades are yoghurt, buttermilk, tamarind juice, green mango, ginger-garlic paste, limejuice, green papaya skin, tomato paste, and vinegar in some cases. Western cuisine makes extensive use of vinegar-olive oil mixtures, citric extracts, papain, red wine, beer and, rarely, yoghurt. In addition to the above, Chinese cuisine makes use of soy sauce and oyster sauce. Common to all these marinades is acidity, which helps break down the connective tissue of meat- pre-digesting the cut before cooking. Marinades have the additional benefit of adding flavour to the dish.

Marination is not an exact science. The stuff only work on the surface it touches – so pierce large cuts of meat with a knife or a fork. Preparations containing olive oil penetrate deeper into the meat because of an emulsifying effect. Half an hour in an acidic bath is sufficient for small cuts of chicken; large cuts of red meat may need hours.

Always refrigerate during marination to prevent overgrowth of bacteria and spoilage of meat. Because the tenderizing process releases a lot of fluid, overcooking a marinated piece of meat will cause it to become dry.

Health benefits: research shows that marination reduces the production of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) during cooking.

HCAs are carcinogenic and arise from cooking meat under high heat- especially on an open flame. Grilled meat is the richest source of HCAs, and marinating the meat in red wine, beer, or olive oil –containing preparations cuts down the production of HCAs.

Never use leftover marinade as a sauce. Always prepare a fresh batch if you want to serve it as a sauce.

(The writer is an expert in internal medicine)

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