Posted on 4th Nov 2009 @ 9:54 PM

Rather than the sometimes suggested role of 'tenderising meat' a marinade's job is to enhance the meat by adding an extra layer of flavour. Tender meat is achieved by using the right cut for the way you’ve chosen to cook, and by cooking it well. Follow the below steps for marinating success.

• You’ll need about half a cup of marinade to flavour 500g meat.
• Refrigerate the marinating meat unless you have prepared it and are going to cook the meat within 20 minutes or so. Whole pieces of meat can stand for 12 to 24 hours covered in the fridge, while cubes of meat for kebabs should only need 2 or 3 hours marinating time.
• Take the meat from the liquid and lightly pat the meat with absorbent paper before placing it in the pan or on the barbecue. (If you don't the meat will not brown well.)
• Don’t pour marinade over the meat while it’s cooking. This makes the meat stew and causes flare-ups.
• To keep meat moist you can brush the meat with a little of the marinade as it cooks. Do not brush it on the meat during the last minutes of cooking time.
• NEVER pour raw, leftover marinade over the cooked meat. The marinade mixture must always be bought to boiling point and boiled for a few minutes before using to kill any harmful bacteria. It can then be served alongside the cooked meat.