Low fat marinades that still work
I´m a huge fan of good meat marinades. However, marinades usually include a lot of oil and adding it to a high fat meat, e.g. lamb or pork is adding more calories in my food than I care for.
Do you know of a good replacement for oil in marinades?
I was thinking of using a mixture of water and mustard...
Best Answer
If you google fat free marinade, you will find a myriad of recipes from many sources.
As a more general principal, you have many options:
- For chicken and pork, brining (which seasons, but despite the myth does not add flavor)
- Some marinades have soy, water, or citrus as their main base with little or no fat
- Dry rub the meat with herbs and spices, which is probably the most effective method of adding flavor
- Use a sauce or mop (as the barbecue folks say) during the cooking to add flavor; these tend to be low fat.
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Do marinades need fat?
Fat: You need some fat in a marinade because it helps transfer fat-soluble flavors onto the meat and also helps retain moisture. Fats help round out flavor profiles and keep sharp or acidic flavors from dominating.Can you marinate chicken in low-fat milk?
Basic Buttermilk Marinade Recipe: What is this? You can make your own buttermilk by adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar OR fresh lemon juice to a measuring cup. Add enough milk (whole, low-fat, or skim milk will all work well) to equal 1 cup. Allow this buttermilk mixture to sit for 10 to 20 minutes before using.What are the 4 types of marinades?
Marinades are mixtures of oil, seasonings, and often acidic ingredients, like vinegar, wine, or citrus juice, used to enhance the flavor of foods. There are different types of marinades, classified as acidic, enzymatic, or oil-based.Are marinades healthy?
Choosing lean meat and low-fat marinades is not only healthy but can help reduce your intake of another potential cancer-causing substance formed during grilling: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).Does marinating do anything?
More answers regarding low fat marinades that still work
Answer 2
There is always whiskey-balsamic marinade:
1 part whiskey
1 part balsamic vinegar
Answer 3
Oil is needed for marinades when you are using spices, as most spices are oils. The oil added to the marinade provides a medium for flavors like cumin and chili, helping liberate them from whatever powder or whole spice they are in. Water doesn't do anywhere near the job that oil does on these, you're better off just rubbing them on directly.
Oil is also sticky, so it will cling to the meat after it is removed from the marinade, keeping some of the flavor outside.
So if you are making a marinade that uses powdered or whole spices you need oil to best extract them, and there is no substitute. You are better off choosing a marinade that uses herbs, acids, water, and salt.
Answer 4
Try using spirits with little to no taste on their own (apart from the alcohol), like vodka. Ethanol is a pretty good solvent and will help get the flavor out of your spices. When heated, the ethanol will simply evaporate.
Personally, I often use a ginger-garlic-soy sauce marinade with some alcohol added to give pork an amazing taste. Be careful with the soy sauce, tho. It contains a lot of salt.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Mikhail Nilov, Anna Tarazevich, Mikhail Nilov