marinades Archives

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce)

Authentic tzatziki is a rich and creamy Greek sauce made from cucumber, yogurt, dill, and garlic. It’s wonderful as a marinade or dipping sauce for all kinds of savory foods.

Tzatziki sauce is one of those things that makes everything better, you know? I had it for the first time when I was in college. Back then I only ever ate it on Greek pita bread and with other Greek dishes.

But then one day I was at a burger joint in the Greek part of Toronto and this nice gentleman working there asked if I’d like tzatziki on my burger.

Game. Changer.

What To Serve Tzatziki With:

Nowadays, I put tzatziki on everything. It’s a fantastic veggie dip and is wonderful on just about any kind of sandwich. A scoop of it on hot rice will change your meal. Got pasta and no sauce? Mix in tzatziki. Are your roasted potatoes dry? Use tzatziki and dip ’em in!

Tzatziki is also great on meats of all kinds, and seafood too. Serve it alongside the cooked meat or seafood as a dip. It also makes for an amazing marinade, which totally makes sense since yogurt is known to be such a good marinating ingredient.

What Is Tzatziki Sauce?

Tzatziki is a traditional Greek dip that is served with pita bread and as a condiment alongside all kinds of foods. It has become beloved in many other countries though because it’s so tasty and versatile.

When you think about it, it makes sense that tzatziki goes with so many things since the ingredients are so simple. Tzatziki sauce is made of thick and creamy Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs.

What Kind Of Yogurt To Use In Tzatziki

You can use fat-free or whole fat Greek yogurt, or any other variety of plain Greek yogurt.

You can also use regular (non-Greek) yogurt. It’s not as thick as Greek yogurt though so you will get a thinner sauce.

Alternatively, you can strain the liquid out of regular yogurt to make it thicker. To do so, put the yogurt in a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth (paper towel also works but can eventually tear from wetness, so watch out for that). Let the yogurt sit in the lined sieve set over a bowl for an hour or two in the fridge. Lots of the liquid will drip out and then you can use that yogurt for a thicker sauce.

You can also use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt for a slightly less acidic flavor. Sour cream is actually my favorite base for tzatziki sauce, but since I use the sauce on so many things I like to keep the fat grams lower by using fat-free Greek yogurt instead.

How Do You Shred Cucumber For Tzatziki?

I shred the cucumber, without peeling it first, using a box grater. I use the side of the grater that I would use for shredding cheese. It’s the side with a bunch of medium-large holes. That gets you thin ribbons of cucumber that are perfect for tzatziki. If you want your shreds to be less long, you can run a knife through them after shredding.

To shred the cucumber, put several sheets of paper towel onto the counter and put the grater on top. Then grate straight onto the paper. The paper will start absorbing some of the liquid from the cucumber. If you want to drain the cucumber further, read on.

How Do You Drain the Liquid Out Of Cucumber For Tzatziki?

I’ve read and seen all kinds of methods for getting the liquid out of cucumber. Often, people salt the cucumber before or after shredding it. The salt is said to pull out the water. I have found this to be unnecessary and it takes too long. I like my tzatziki to be ready in under 10 minutes from start to finish.

I’m going to give you a quicker method for draining cucumber below, but honestly, you don’t have to get the liquid out of the cucumber at all, if you don’t want to.

If you’re going to be serving the tzatziki sauce immediately, it won’t matter at all whether you’ve drained the cucumber. Promise. If you’re going to serve it later on and you don’t drain the cucumber, what will happen is that some water will slowly leak out of the cucumber and into the sauce. When you open the container, there will be some little puddles of liquid. You can either pour those off, or you can just stir it in. It will make the sauce slightly less thick, but otherwise doesn’t do anything.

If you do want to drain the liquid from the cucumber, the easiest way is to grate the cucumber onto some paper towel. I usually use a triple thickness (three sheets) of paper towel for this. Arrange the shredded cucumber so it’s spread out on the top sheet. Then grasp an edge of all three sheets and roll them up so that the cucumber is in there jelly-roll-style. Now, hold your paper-and-cucumber jelly-roll over the sink and squeeze it gently all over. The paper towel will absorb a lot of the liquid and some will drip out as well. Keep squeezing until you fear the paper towel is about to break. Then unroll the jelly-roll and use your fingers to scrape the cucumber into your bowl. Done!

How Much Garlic To Put In Tzatziki Sauce?

The recipe below calls for 1 clove of garlic, which is what I use if I’m having people over and I don’t know whether they love garlic as much as I do.

If, however, the tzatziki is just for me or if it is for some fellow garlic-lovers, then I use 2-3 cloves. I’d therefore say that you should start with one clove but be ready to add more. Note that if you’re not serving the tzatziki immediately, it will get a bit more garlicky as it sits, so keep that in mind when you’re tasting and adjusting the amount.

What Herbs To Use In Tzatziki Sauce?

I like to just use fresh dill in my tzatziki sauce. You can use dried dill if you prefer. You’ll only need about half as much if you use dried.

A lot of people like to use fresh mint instead of dill, or in addition to the dill. I don’t really like mint in mine though. The flavor of dill and cucumber together is one of my favorites so I like to keep it right there.

You could use basil and/or parsley as well but I don’t. That’s not really authentic and also, as mentioned, it’s so good with lots of dill that I never want to do anything else.

Does Tzatziki Sauce Have To Include Lemon And Olive Oil?

Authentic tzatziki sauce contains both lemon and olive oil. However, I almost never add olive oil to mine. Why? Well, I think it’s delicious without it and that also saves a few calories.

As to the lemon juice, if I have fresh lemons, then I use a bit of lemon juice. If I don’t have lemons, I don’t add any lemon juice. You can use bottled lemon juice as well. It’s better with the fresh but only slightly.

My thinking though is that Greek yogurt is already pretty tangy and acidic so it doesn’t need it that much.

If you love the lemon flavor, you can also or instead add about 1/4 teaspoon of grated lemon zest. It adds a beautiful burst of freshness.

If you want the tang and don’t have lemon juice, add 1/4 teaspoon of white wine vinegar. Taste the finished sauce and then add more vinegar if desired.

Well, I think that’s all that I have to say about tzatziki sauce. Who knew such a simple sauce could have so much info to convey? I promise that it’s worth having read all of that if you want to make the best tzatziki possible though. And I know that’s what you want, right?

Enjoy!
Christine
xo

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce)

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Authentic tzatziki is a rich and creamy Greek sauce made from cucumber, yogurt, dill, and garlic. It’s wonderful as a marinade or dipping sauce for all kinds of savory foods.

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 and 1/2 cups 1x
Category: Sauce
Method: Cold
Cuisine: Greek

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Ingredients

Scale

3 inches of cucumber
1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill and/or mint
1 Tbsp. olive oil (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

Lay 4 sheets of paper towel on the counter. Use a box grater to grate the cucumber into fine shreds onto the paper towel.
Roll the paper towel around the cucumber and squeeze the liquid out as much as possible without tearing the paper. Transfer the cucumber to a medium sized bowl.
To the bowl add the yogurt, dill or mint, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Stir.
Taste and add more salt if desired.

Marinated Vegetable Skewers

By Christine Pittman

You already have everything you need for this marinade in your kitchen. Add mixed vegetables and broil. A delicious side that’s ready in minutes.

Broiling veggies is one way to quickly get a delicious side dish onto the table. They blacken a bit giving them such great flavor. They’re even better if you marinate them a bit first though.

Today’s vegetable marinade is really simple. It’s olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. That’s it.

The trick for getting the vegetables evenly coated in marinade, and to giving them a good soak, is to marinate them before putting them on skewers. This way more surface area of the vegetables is in contact with the bottom of the baking dish and thus with the pool of marinade. Get them onto skewers after they marinate and then broil about 6 inches from the heat source just until they start to blacken.

Marinated Vegetable Skewers

Contributor: Christine Pittman

You already have everything you need for this marinade in your kitchen. Add mixed vegetables and broil. A delicious side that’s ready in minutes.

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

1/4 c. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper
8 button or cremini mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, cut into 8 chunks
1 bell pepper, cut into 8 chunks

Instructions

In a baking dish combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and black pepper. Add the mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper. Toss to coat. Let sit 15-30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Preheat broiler on high and arrange racks 6-8 inches from heat source.
Skewer mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper.
Broil until slightly blackened and desired tenderness is achieved, 7-10 minutes.

You have all you need fr this marinade in your kitchen. Add mixed vegetables and broil. #thecookful

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The Best Shrimp Marinade (With Basil and Beer!)

By Christine Pittman

Beer and shrimp are best buddies. Add in some basil and you pretty much have the best shrimp marinade ever.

Shrimp are very tender and juicy on their own so if you marinate them it isn’t to tenderize them. It’s too give them some extra flavor. Go ahead and choose bold flavorings for your shrimp marinade. Lemon and lime juice are both great choices for the acid. Garlic is always good good good. Some minced jalapeno and some coconut milk, amazing. There are so many directions to go.

For this shrimp marinade, I was looking for something new and exciting to try. I turned to my trusty Flavor Bible (do you know this book? It’s incredible for coming up with new recipe ideas. It lists every food ever and then tells you what foods and flavors go with it. I always have it within arm’s reach and use it daily) and looked up Shrimp. A lot of the usual suspects were there. But then I spotted beer. Of course! Like Beer Battered Shrimp! Those flavors do work well together. Right near beer in the list of foods that go with shrimp was basil. I could already taste this. Those shrimpies’ fates were sealed.

I had planned to start really basic with this recipe, test it out and then maybe add in some other ingredients in the second round. But it was so darned good the first time that I did it exactly the same way the second, third and fourth time.

Here’s what you do to make this delicious (delicious!) marinade. Pour beer (a lager, something light but flavorful) into a bowl and add some olive oil, torn up basil leaves and salt. That’s it. Then in go the shrimp.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Don’t do it longer than that. You don’t want the beer to start cooking your shrimp (I know it’s not technically “cooking” without heat. It’s actually called denaturing. Eh hmm. But if I’d said “You don’t want the beer to start denaturing your shrimp,” most people wouldn’t have known what I was talking about. Wait. You would have known? Yeah, I know. You’re pretty smart. But most people wouldn’t have known. Oh, hey, if you want to know more about denaturing, which is what happens when you make ceviche, and get a fabulous ceviche recipe to boot, check this out).

OK, enough babbling. Here it is. The best shrimp marinade. You’re seriously going to love this one.

Beer and Basil Shrimp

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Beer and shrimp are best buddies. Add in some basil and you pretty much have the best shrimp marinade ever.

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

1 cup lager
1/2 cup olive oil
8–10 large basil leaves, torn into small pieces (plus more for garnish)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. peeled, deveined, tail on, large shrimp

Instructions

In a large bowl mix together lager, olive oil, basil and salt. Add shrimp and stir gently. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain in a colander such that only the shrimp and basil remain.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add shrimp and basil and arrange in a single layer. Let cook 1 minute, then stir. Cook, stirring occasionally until opaque, pink and cooked through, another 1-2 minutes. Remove from skillet and serve.

This is the BEST shrimp marinade ever. Beer and basil make it so good. #thecookful

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Marinated Portobello Mushrooms

By Christine Pittman

Marinating and grilling portobello mushrooms is easy and they’re so tasty. Their great meaty flavor makes them perfect on just about anything (well, not chocolate cake. You know what I mean). On steak, a salad or smooshed into a burger bun. These are where it’s at.

The mushroom marinade has roasted garlic infused red wine vinegar. If you can’t find that, go with regular red wine vinegar and add a dash of garlic powder to the mix. Then go in with the olive oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Mix it up. Then you’re going to brush it onto the mushrooms. But do it in a very specific way.

Start with a bit of marinade on the mushroom tops. Then flip them over and put most of it on the gills. It’s going to settle into all those crevices and hang on better than it does to the tops. Let them sit there gill-side-up for a bit then grill starting with the tops down, then flip. Let them rest for a bit and then either slice them or serve them whole.

Marinated Portobello Mushrooms

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Portobello mushrooms are so good on the grill. They are perfect as a picnic side, on top of steaks or hearty enough for an entree.

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 11 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

- 3 Tbsp. roasted garlic infused red wine vinegar, such as Pompeian brand
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper
- 4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed

Instructions

Prepare grill for direct medium-high grilling.
In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper.
Put mushrooms on a plate top-side-up. Brush tops lightly with the vinegar mixture. Flip mushrooms over. Brush remaining marinade liberally on the gills and let it soak in for a minute.
Grill mushrooms top-side-down until grill marks are dark, 3-4 minutes. Flip and grill for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
Slice and serve.

How to Make Baked Brie Better Than Ever

By Christine Pittman

Three great tips for making baked brie that is better than ever. Plus the hands down best baked brie recipe. We can’t wait for you to try it!

This is hands down the best baked brie recipe ever. We can't wait for you to try it!

If you love baked brie, raise your hand. You raised both hands? Oh! ha! Of course you did! It really is that good, right?

Well, I’m about to make it even better by doing three things.

First, marinating it. Whatever topping you like to put on your brie can make a bigger more delicious impact if you poke holes in the cheese first. What you do is put the brie on the pan that you plan to cook it on. Then use a fork to poke holes all over the top surface of the cheese. Go all the way down into the cheese but don’t break through the bottom rind. When your brie is all punctured (lots of punctures. Like 40 or so) pile your topping on top. Ideally, your topping has a touch of liquid in it. That liquid is going to drip down into the holes you just made and flavor the interior of the brie.

Second, making it savory. I’m not sure why baked bries are so often given sweet toppings. I mean, sure, it’s good. But a savory topping loaded with garlic and herbs is way better. But then, I don’t have a sweet tooth really. I know. It bothers my loved ones greatly. Anyhow, try something savory on there. For this one, we infuse olive oil with garlic and then add chopped bell pepper, lemon juice, dijon mustard, parsley, salt and pepper. That garlic oil drips down into the brie and makes you moan with every mouthful. That’s a promise.

Third, grill it. OK, so it’s maybe not technically “baked” brie if you grill it but the result is pretty similar. The difference is that you get a smoky flavor on the cheese. A bit. Maybe. Or not really. I’m lying. Mostly, I do it because it looks pretty impressive to my friends when they realize that I’m cooking brie on the grill. Theatrics make food taste better. They really do. Every time I grill a wheel of brie, people end up standing near me and watching. Nobody EVER does that when I put brie in the oven. NEVER. Then, when I don my oven mitts and take the brie off the grill and to the table, the oooooo sounds are much louder and more enthusiastic than the traditional baked brie oooooos we’re more used to.

To grill a wheel of brie, put it on a rimmed baking sheet. You need the rim. If you accidentally cook the brie too long, or if it gets a puncture, it’s going to ooze all over the place. You don’t want it inside of your grill so use a rim. The grill should be set up for medium-high heat (around 350ºF) indirect cooking. That means that you have one burner on and one burner off. Then you put the pan of cheese (yes, the pan and the cheese) over the off burner. Close the lid of the grill and let it be for 10 minutes. Then check it. It’s probably going to need at least 5 more minutes but checking never hurt. Plus you know everyone wants to have a peek at it anyhow. It’s done with the sides are bulging and the top is soft to the touch, about 15-20 minutes.

Note that I’ve given instructions for baking this brie in the recipe below as well just in case you want to do it the boring way. Boo hoo. 😉

THE BEST BAKED BRIE, WITH GARLIC AND RED PEPPER

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Three great tips for making baked brie that is better than ever. Plus the hands down best baked brie recipe. We can’t wait for you to try it!

Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this garlicky brie recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. black pepper
⅛ tsp. table or fine grind kosher salt
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1–8 oz wheel of brie
Sliced French bread or water crackers

Instructions

Into a small skillet measure the olive oil and add garlic. Warm the skillet over medium low heat until very fragrant and garlic is softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat. Stir in lemon juice, mustard, black pepper, salt and parsley.
Place the brie on a rimmed baking sheet. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top surface of the brie. Go all the way to the bottom of the cheese but do not pierce the bottom rind.
Pile the red peppers and garlic oil onto the top surface of the cheese. Use a spatula to scrape all the oil onto the cheese. Set aside for 15 minutes, allowing the garlic oil to drip through the holes you’ve made in the cheese. (You can marinate it in the fridge for longer, even overnight. If doing so, cover with plastic wrap before placing in the fridge).
If using a grill: Preheat grill to 350°F and prepare for indirect grilling. Once heated, place the cheese-pan on the grill, being sure that it is over indirect heat (i.e., that the heat is not directly below the pan). Put the cover down. If using an oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Once oven is preheated put in the pan of cheese.
Grill/bake for 15 minutes. If the brie is bulging at the sides and soft to the touch on top, it’s ready. If it’s not soft and bulging, grill/bake for another 5-7 minutes but check on it every minute or so (you want to catch it at the bulging stage not at the oozing-all-over-the-pan stage). Serve on the pan with bread or crackers and knives for scooping and spreading.

How to make baked brie better than ever: Marinate and then grill it! #thecookful

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How to Marinate Tofu

By Maria Siriano

Tofu just screams for a good marinade. It absorbs any flavors you want, which makes it perfect for your favorite combination. Learn how to marinate tofu perfectly here.

On its own, tofu is super bland, so it’s just begging to be marinated. There’s a little extra prep work for marinating tofu, but it’s so easy you’ll be a tofu pro in no time. Just follow these simple steps.

Step#1

Drain and press your tofu. Cut open the package and drain out the water. Put a double layer of paper towels (or use a clean tea towel) onto a plate.

Step#2

Put your tofu block on top of the paper towels.

Step#3

Add another double layer of paper towels (or use another clean tea towel).

Step#4

Put another plate on top, then set something heavy on top (we used a giant bag of soybeans).

Step#5

Press for at least 15 minutes, and up to an hour.

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Lemon Pepper Marinated Green Beans

By Christine Pittman

Summer veggies are here. A quick and simple marinade makes green beans a delicious side dish.

Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables and, the best part is, they love a good marinade. When you marinade green beans it makes tehm a bit soft but also really gets the flavor penetrating to their core. Tasty tasty.

For this recipe, you put the beans in a baking dish and hten add a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and coarse black pepper. Let it all soak together for 15 minutes and then bake the beans just until they’re the desired doneness. Easy and delicious. Sweet!

Lemon Pepper Marinated Green Beans

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Summer veggies are here. A quick and simple marinade makes green beans a delicious side dish.

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. green beans, trimmed

Instructions

Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, black pepper, garlic powder and salt. Pour over green beans in a 9×11″ cake pan. Toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425⁰. Cook 20 minutes, shaking once halfway through.

Summer veggies are here. A quick and simple marinade makes green beans a delicious side dish. #thecookful

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Flavor Combinations for Fantastic Marinades

By Amy Bowen

You’re only a few ingredients away from making a fantastic marinade. We raid the pantry for flavor combinations.

We’ve already discussed that a marinade isn’t a dumping ground for every little ingredient you have in the kitchen. But there’s no need to always follow a recipe. There’s no fun in that!

A good starting place is to mix up some oil and an acid. Go with a one-to-one ratio. I almost always add minced garlic to this. Then go in with one or two herbs or spices. Season with salt and taste it. You need to like how it tastes.

Here’s some inspiration for you.

Oil + Apple Cider Vinegar + Lavender

I know this doesn’t have garlic, but I love this. My mother created this combo when I was in high school. She belonged to an herb club and had to share an interesting marinade. She still uses this on steak.

Oil + Lime Juice + Jalapenos + Garlic + Chili Powder

Olé!

Oil + red chili paste + lime juice + cilantro + coconut milk

Try this on shrimp. Marinade for just 30 minutes though. Then drain, pat them dry and sizzle them in a hot pan.

Oil + Garlic + Lemon Juice + Spicy Mustard

My 3.5-year-old son loves mustard. He regularly eats mustard sandwiches. Yeah, just bread and mustard. I’ve realized that if I use mustard in a marinade on pork, he’ll eat it up.

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Adobo Chicken Breasts

By Christine Pittman

Adobo sauce brings chicken alive in a marinade that takes only one hour.

Do you know about adobo sauce? If you go to the Mexican section of your grocery store, look for little cans of Chipotles in Adobo Sauce. Buy one. Take it home. Open it. Taste the sauce. Just a tiny bit! It’s hot! But it’s also got this amazing smoky flavor. I add it to all kinds of things, like chili and dips, pasta sauces, taco fillings, and to marinades, which is what I’m sharing with you today.

This marinade doesn’t have much of the adobo sauce so the chicken doesn’t end up super-spicy. It just gets a bit of pique and some of that nice smoke flavor. I think you’re going to really like it.

Spicy Marinated Chicken Breasts

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Adobo sauce brings chicken alive in a marinade that takes only one hour.

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

2/3 cup vegetable or grape seed oil
1/3 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. adobo sauce (look for a can of chipotles in adobo. Use the sauce that the peppers are packed in)
1/8 tsp. salt
4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

Line a large bowl with a large open ziptop bag. Measure vegetable oil, lime juice, brown sugar, adobo sauce and salt into the bag. Stir. Add chicken. Seal and refrigerate one hour.
Preheat oven to 425⁰F. Pour off the marinade and put chicken on a baking sheet. Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165⁰F, 20-25 minutes.

Adobo sauce brings chicken alive in a marinade that takes only one hour. #thecookful

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Cheap Steaks in Pineapple Soy Marinade

By Christine Pittman

Learn how to make cheap steaks tender using an enzyme marinade.

The key to making a cheap steak taste great is to use a marinade. We told you about the different kinds of marinades over here. We wanted to therefore show you one of them in action.

We’re using an enzyme marinade here. Some fruits and vegetables have an enzyme called protease that can break down meat proteins to make them more tender. Pineapple is one of the fruits that has this enzyme. We went with pineapple juice for the enzyme action here and then some soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger for added flavor.

The thing to remember about an enzyme marinade is that it can turn meat to mush pretty quickly. Don’t marinate it for too long. We went with 1 hour on this one. It turned out pretty great 🙂

Cheap Steaks in Pineapple Soy Marinade

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Learn how to make cheap steaks tender using an enzyme marinade.

Author: Christine Pittman

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Ingredients

Scale

1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp. ginger
3 eye round steaks (about 1 and 1/3 pound total)
1 Tbsp. cooking oil

Instructions

Mix together pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic cloves and ginger. Put in a zip-top bag and add steaks. Seal and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat cast-iron skillet on high heat. Add oil. Cook steaks two minutes per side for a rare steak, longer to achieve desired doneness.

Make your cheap steaks taste like an expensive sirloin. #thecookful

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Grilled Chicken Parmesan in Lemon Marinade

By Christine Pittman

Here’s a refreshing take on the classic chicken Parmesan. The chicken in marinaded in lemon and then grilled topped with tomato slices and cheese. The breadcrumb topping is killer on top.

I bet there’s not a person anywhere who doesn’t like chicken Parmesan. Chicken, gooey cheese, tomato sauce and a crunchy crust. Right???

Well, we wanted to do a grilled summery take on this classic dish, but what topic would we put this under on the site. We’re not doing a chicken Parmesan topic. Ohhhh but we should. Yes. We should. Until then, where oh where can this recipe go?

Ha! We plopped the chicken breasts into a marinade and then, Voila! The recipe can go in our current marinade topic. Yippee. So here it is. Chicken breasts that are pounded to an even thickness and then marinated in a lemon mixture. You put them on the grill for a few minutes then flip them over. Top with tomato slices, cheese and some crunchy breadcrumbs. Soooo good.

Grilled Chicken Parmesan in Lemon Marinade

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Here’s a refreshing take on the classic chicken Parmesan. The chicken in marinaded in lemon and then grilled topped with tomato slices and cheese. The breadcrumb topping is killer on top.

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs. total)
olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded (not grated) Parmesan cheese
salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
coarse black pepper
1 large tomato, sliced into 8 slices
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8–12 fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Flatten the chicken breasts: Put one breast into a large ziptop bag but keep it unzipped. Use a flat mallet or heavy rolling pin to hit the chicken breast at the thickest part. Continue to do so, moving around a bit, until the chicken is of an even thickness of approximately 3/4-inch. Remove chicken from bag and repeat one at a time with remaining breasts.
If the bag is in good shape (no holes) measure 1/4 cup of olive oil and the lemon juice into the bag (or use a new bag or a baking dish). Add the flattened chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Into a small skillet measure the panko, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. Put over medium-low heat and stir frequently so that the Parmesan doesn’t clump up as it melts. Stir and cook until toasted to a golden crunchy brown, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer immediately to a large plate so that the crumbs stop cooking and cool. Set aside.
Prepare the grill for direct cooking on medium-high heat.
Drain the liquid off of the chicken breasts and discard. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer breasts to prepared grill. Cover and cook until there are nice dark grill marks, 3-4 minutes. Flip the breasts over. Top each one with 2 slightly overlapping slices of tomato, 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella and 1/4 of the bread crumbs. Cover and cook just until breasts are cooked through and cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes longer. Transfer to serving plate and top each breast with 2-3 basil leaves.

Fire up the grill with a yummy lemon grilled chicken. #thecookful

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Pork Loin Injected with Apple Marinade

By Christine Pittman

Take your marinating game up. Way up. Inject an apple cider marinade into a pork loin and prepare to be wowed.

Generally speaking, marinades are great on larger pieces of meat. We explained why over here. Basically, marinades don’t penetrate far beyond the surface of the meat so they don’t work to tenderize or flavor very deeply.

Today’s technique solves this problem. What you’re going to do is inject the marinade into the meat. You mix up a marinade then pour it into a meat injector like this one. Inject the marinade in a bunch of places all over the roast. Then put it in a zip top plastic bag and let it marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours. That flavor is going to be all through the meat.

Roast it the way you normally would. Then eat it. Good, right?

Inject your marinade into your meat and be prepared to be wowed. #thecookful

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Pork Loin Injected with Apple Marinade

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Take your marinating game up. Way up. Inject an apple cider marinade into a pork loin and prepare to be wowed.

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. allspice, ground
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt
2 lb. pork loin

Instructions

Whisk together vegetable oil, brown sugar, cider vinegar, allspice, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour into a meat injector.
Put pork loin onto a plate. Inject marinade into pork loin by inserting the injector in 8-10 different places and squeezing a bit into it each time. If any of the marinade has spilled onto the plate, roll the loin around in it. Put loin in a plastic bag, seal and put in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Put pork loin into baking dish, fat side up. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bake until meat reaches 145-155⁰F, about an hour. Let rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

Common Marinade Mistakes

By Christine Pittman

Making a yummy marinade is easy. But it’s just as easy to fall into some traps. Here’s how to prevent mistakes before they happen.

Mixing your marinade is fun. You get to be a crazy chef that combines seemingly random ingredients into something delicious. But it’s really not too random. There are guidelines and pitfalls to avoid. Here’s how to sidestep mistakes that can ruin a perfectly good marinade.

Understand what you’re putting into your marinade.

Repeat after me, “A good marinade isn’t everything you have in your pantry.” Don’t use your marinade as an excuse to use up every spice or leftover ingredient. Pay attention to flavors. Have a plan. That dollop of leftover horseradish might not pair well with swig of apple cider vinegar. But it might. Hmmm. I think it would work actually. But you know what I mean.

Watch the salt.

It is way too easy to over-salt marinades. Watch what you put in. And taste as you go along. Remember, it’s easier to add salt instead of taking away.

Take advantage of herbs and spices.

There are so many great flavors out there, have fun combining them. If you really want to go gourmet, toast some spices and crush herbs to bring out even more pronounced flavors. And don’t be afraid to go big. Love garlic? Add lots. It will mellow on a steak, for example.

Add some fat.

A basic oil (olive, canola) will help bring all those yummy spices into your meat. A chicken breast or a nice steak has lot of grooves, so the oil helps find those areas. Oh, but stay away from using your artisan oils. A nice truffle oil might seem like it will make a marinade even better, but in reality all the flavor will be lost in the cooking. Stay basic.

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What’s the Difference Between a Marinade, Brine, Rub and Sauce

By Amy Bowen

Check out our dummy sheet about the differences between marinades, brines, rubs and sauces.

Marinade

It’s usually a mixture of an acid, salt, fruit or vegetables and spices that is used on meat, fish or other foods. Cooks let it soak to add flavor and soften textures. Marinades don’t soak into the whole cut of meat or whatever you’re using. It only affects the surface of the food.

So how does it work? The acid in the marinade breakdowns the proteins on the surface of the meat, which makes it more tender.

Because marinades don’t easily penetrate far into the meat, they are best used on smaller cuts like steaks and pork chops. This will result in a nice bit of tenderizing and flavor penetration. If you use marinades on larger cuts, what often happens is that the marinade is overly effective on the outside of the meat, making it mushy or tough, and yet doesn’t penetrate the inside and thus has no effect there.

Food safety alert: Never, ever cook with used marinades and always refrigerate food while it is marinating.

Want even more information? Check out our everything you need to know about marinades article. It tells you how marinades work and talks about the different basic types of marinades too.

Brine

Where marinades are used to tenderize meats, brines are used to add moisture. Cooking dries out meat, which can turn a chicken dinner into chicken jerky. A brine helps lean meats to stay moist by breaking down the surface and retaining water. The result is juicier meat.

Brines need only consist of salt and water with other ingredients optionally added for flavor. That’s it. There’s nothing fancy about it. Brines are traditionally used on lean proteins, such as turkey and chicken. You always discard the brine before cooking.

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How Do Marinades Work?

By Amy Bowen

Marinades are magical. No, really. What else can transform a budget cut of meat into a dish worthy of a five-star restaurant. Here’s the lowdown on marinades.

Let’s explore the fascinating world of marinades. When used properly, marinades can make any cut of meat more tender and flavorful. But how?

Kinds of marinades

There are three kinds of marinades. They work somewhat differently, but the results are the same — an added oomph in flavor, and meat that’s so tender it falls off the bone.

Contestant number one is an enzyme marinade. Did you know you can marinate meat with some kinds of fruit and dairy. Isn’t that crazy? Raw fruits, such as papaya, pineapple, kiwi, fig and mango, have the the enzyme protease, which breaks down meat proteins.

Dairy marinades (think Grandmother’s famous buttermilk fried chicken) are also enzyme marinades. Some people think that calcium might cause the protein breakdown, but no one knows for sure. You’ll see things like yogurt also used as a marinade due to that calcium and also to the acid in the yogurt.

One thing to note about enzyme marinades, don’t leave them on too long or your meat will turn to mush. The enzymes will work overtime and your food will turn to jelly.

Contestant number two is an acidic marinade. This marinade uses acids (like lemon juice) to breakdown the proteins to tenderize the meat. Actually, the acid relaxes the proteins in the meat, making it tender. But don’t let it marinate food too long or it will actually get tough.

Contestant number three is a dry marinade. This is an combination of herbs and spices that are rubbed all over the meat and let sit for a few hours before cooking. The spices help disrupt the tissue, which helps infuse the meat with flavor.

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How To Make Ceviche

By Christine Pittman

Find out the science behind ceviche and how to make it at home. Includes tips for type of fish, length of marinade time and doing make-ahead ceviche.

I’ve heard it said that ceviche is fish that is cooked using citrus juice. This isn’t entirely true since the definition of to cook involves heat. There is no heat used when making ceviche so it is technically incorrect to call it cooked.

Instead, what happens with ceviche is called denaturing. This is a chemical process that changes the proteins in the fish to make it firm and opaque, appearing as though it was cooked. (Note that to cook something is also a form of denaturing. That is, cooking and bathing in citric acid are both processes that alter the chemical and physical properties of food).

How to Make Ceviche

To make ceviche you marinate fish for a fairly short time in citric acid. We went with a combination of lemon and lime juice. We also put some minced onion in there for added flavor.

After it has marinated, you get to add in some other ingredients. We always add some kind of hot pepper to ours, either jalapenos or red chilies, minced. I also liked chopped tomato, avocado and a good bit of cilantro. Freshly squeezed orange juice and some olive oil usually find their way into the mix. And a nice bit of salt. Don’t forget the salt.

You can add other seasonings too. Cracked black pepper, smoked paprika and chili powder are all good options.

How long do you marinate the fish for when making ceviche?

You want it to just be opaque and starting to “cook” through. You don’t want it actually flaking and falling apart. For fish sliced 1/4 inch thin, as we’ve done, 20-30 minutes is ideal. Marinate the ceviche in the fridge and then serve as soon as it’s ready.

Some people marinate the fish a lot longer than we have recommended. If you like the fish a little drier and fully flaky, then you can marinate for much longer, an hour or even more. But if you like it firmer, think slightly flaky on the outside with a firmer sushi-style texture in the middle, then don’t go more than 30 minutes.

What kind of fish should you use?

It really depends on what is freshest on the day you’re making your ceviche. Go to your shop and ask the fishmonger. Tell them you want a firm white ocean fish that is as fresh as possible. Grouper, sea bass and sole are great choices.

A Tip for Ceviche at a Dinner Party

Ceviche is not a make-ahead dish, at least not if you like yours on the firmer side. If you like it flakier, you can marinade for longer and then it is a natural make ahead option.

Instead, to do make-ahead ceviche, you can get everything ready ahead of time. Slice your fish and get it back on ice in the fridge. Chop your onion and jalapenos. Juice your lemons, limes and oranges. Cut up the tomatoes and avocados.

30 minutes before serving the ceviche, toss the fish with the lemon, lime and onion. Put it in the fridge. Then add your other ingredients, top with cilantro and serve. It’s pretty easy, really. And pretty impressive too. Well done, you!

How To Make Ceviche

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Author: Christine Pittman
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1 lb. firm white ocean fish like grouper, sea bass or sole, in 1-inch pices sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 medium sweet onion, small dice or sliced very thinly
1 large avocado, pitted and diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed then minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (more for garnish)
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
Tortilla chips

Instructions

In a medium bowl combine the fish, lemon and lime juices and onion. Put it in the fridge and let it marinade for 20-30 minutes, until the fish looks cooked on the outside but still has a firm sushi-style texture in the middle.
Drain. Add avocado, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, orange juice, olive oil and salt. Stir gently. Garnish with more cilantro and serve immediately with tortilla chips on the side.

You’ve had ceviche in restaurants. Now find out the science behind it and how to do it at home.. #thecookful

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