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Question: When does a host boast? With any luck it’s not very often, but
I’d argue that the superego emerges whenever a marinade is involved.
We’ve all been here before: “Yeah, that’s right, that pork shoulder
has been marinatin’ for 16 hours, I reckon. It’s an ancient
family recipe, from the South Pacific, before Hawaii was even a state.
I’d have to toss you into a volcano if I shared the recipe,
heh-heh.”
What is it about the marinade that turns the nicest
cook on Earth into a chest-beating, information-withholding gorilla? My theory? The secret is in the sauce, and the keeper
of said sauce is like a sorcerer. In turn, that sauce is the key to the
universe.
Holding the key, however, does not a true genius
make. Most so-called marinade masters are simply doing what they’re
told, following the recipe of their ancestors without deviating from the
rules. The real secret is in knowing the components of a
marinade — as a chemist would — and then recipes become moot,
you become a true inventor, and the world is truly your marinating oyster. The building blocks are: • Acid, such as citrus fruit, tomatoes, vinegar,
buttermilk, yogurt. • Fat — think oil rather than solids such
as butter or shortening. • Flavor, which consists of heat (chiles,
paprika, hot sauce), sweet (sugar, honey, molasses), salt (about 1 teaspoon
per 1 1/2 pounds of meat; alternatively, use soy sauce) and savory (spices,
herbs, aromatics).
Use this crib sheet and you’ll truly have the
secret to the sauce. Below, a marinade model of success that incorporates
all elements and works equally well on chicken, shrimp, and zucchini.
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at
kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
Amazing All-Purpose Viet Marinade From Into the Vietnamese
Kitchen, by Andrea Nguyen
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about one lime) 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil 2 3/4 pounds chicken thighs (Note: I kept bones in but removed skin and trimmed fat)
In a bowl large enough to accommodate the chicken,
combine all ingredients except the chicken and mix well. Add chicken and
use your fingers to massage marinade into the meat, distributing the
seasonings as evenly as possible. Marinate at room temperature for at least
30 minutes or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours. Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas
grill to medium. Place chicken on grill rack and cook, turning every
five minutes, until browned on both sides, with clear juices. If necessary,
transfer meat to a 400-degree oven to finish cooking. You are looking for
an internal temperature of about 165 degrees. The amounts above also make enough marinade for 1
pound of peeled jumbo shrimp or two or three medium zucchini, halved
lengthwise and then quartered. Marinate shrimp no longer than 20 minutes;
marinate zucchini for as little as 10 minutes or as long as one hour.
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2007.
