Basic Marinade
1/4 c. The Tasteful Olive mild or medium extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. The Tasteful Olive balsamic vinegar (your choice of dark or white)
1 T. The Tasteful Olive's spice blends/seasonings (such as Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning)
Salt (about 1 t. per pound of meat)
Pepper (about 1/2 t. per pound of meat)
Mix above ingredients and marinate for as little as 20 minutes.
Seafood should generally not be marinated for more than 1 hour. Other meats can be marinated as much as 2 hours ahead in the refrigerator.
Note: the more tender the meat, the less time it needs to marinate.
Why use a marinade? Marinades are seasoned liquid mixtures that add both flavor and tenderize meat. They are a fast, easy way to create delicious meat dishes, especially with less expensive cuts of meat. Marinades must contain an ingredient to break down the meat fibers and let the flavors penetrate. They can be achieved with an acidic substance (vinegar, wine, spirits, lemon juice, etc.) or a natural tenderizing enzyme such as those found in fresh papaya, ginger, pineapple and figs. Oil is added to the marinade to help ingredients adhere better to the meat and to aid in browning during cooking.
