Easy Simple Marinade for Meat Steak and Vegetables

There really isn’t a whole lot that goes into making a marinade. They are simple in general…really. Now let’s take a look at how to make your own marinade.

The basics are fat,acid, and flavorings. Marinades are typically used for 2 things…. First, they are used to tenderize items. Second, they are used to impart flavor. When you are using a marinade, you are usually going for both.
As far as tenderizing meat, the active ingredient is usually acid. Acid can come in the form of many different things. They can be citrus juice like lemon. They can also be from things like wine, or vinegar. Depending on the type of cuisine you are working with, that is what usually calls out which marinade you need to use.
As far as flavoring, many different things are used. They can be liquids like soy sauce, or molasses. They can be herbs and spices. Again, the cuisine being cooked and you imagination really come into play and make the differences in what the marinade will have.
When you are going to marinade something, the general rule of thumb is 6-8 hours. And for that time frame, you want to have pieces of meat that are probably no thicker than 1 inch. Any thicker, and you will need to pierce the meat with a fork to allow penetration throughout the piece.
The following is a really easy marinade recipe that you can use to start with. The marinade will tenderize and offer a subtle flavor as to not overpower whatever you are marinating.
Easy Simple Marinade:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 smashed garlic clove
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Method:
combine all the ingredients and shake well. Use enough to evenly surround and coat the meat.
One thing I like to do is put the meat in a ziploc bag and then the marinade. You will need less marinade as the bag will allow even liquid dispersion.