NY Times Article - No Marinade for Grilling


 
G

Gene_N

TVWBB Fan
Hello,

Interesting read.

Marinades only tenderize the surface of the meat and add subdued melded flavors. Says rubs give better flavor...

Thoughts?
 
It also said that rather than marinade try tossing the food in the marindae after cooking This would create a sharper more distinct flavor. Interesteing.
 
I marinate the meat then use the leftovers to baste while its gilling which I think adds a lot of flavor.
So I dont think much of this.
 
not sure if I can put much stock in that. Maybe I read it wrong, but he seemed to wan us to essentially blacken it then coat in a sauce. Sounds like more of a griddle/frypan technique than grilling to me. But hey, I may try it for giggles in case I'm wrong.
 
And how many people in NYC do you know who own any type of grill (other than maybe an electric George Foreman or a Panini press?)? Seeking advice on grilling techniques from the NY Times is like seeking advice on birth control from a priest.
 
I definitely think there are benefits to marinating meat from everything from shrimp and scallops to beef. To me, it's not about tenderizing what you're cooking, but imparting flavor. I'd have to think about this more, but I can't imagine food that is basted with a marinade tasting as good as something that was marinated, and perhaps basted. I think that marinades with a decent level of acid will permeate the meat deeper (ala ceviche). Anyway, just my knee jerk reaction.
 
Ron A said:
And how many people in NYC do you know who own any type of grill (other than maybe an electric George Foreman or a Panini press?)? Seeking advice on grilling techniques from the NY Times is like seeking advice on birth control from a priest.
Click to expand...

You do realize that the two authors may or may not have ever lived anywhere near New York City.

Never the less thank you I got a good chuckle from your post. I work in NYC and live maybe 3 miles from the city border.

Just a quick FYI, I have only seen one Weber ranch kettle in my life and it was in a store in Manhattan. Yes in an area where more people live per square mile than any where else in the USA and when I went back to that store a week later it was sold.

NY you never know what to expect.
 
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If the picture that accompanies the article is representative of how these guys do ribs,
it serves only to negate the validity of the rest of the article. I should not marinate my
chicken in garlic and black pepper because these jamokes think it does not get inside?
Yeah right! Seems that they never even considered injecting a marinade. These guys
remind me of politicians who like to tell other people what to do, but don't have a clue themselves!
 
I have marinated chicken pork and beef. As far as I'm concerned it adds a distinctive flavor. Cornell chicken comes to mind right away. I use various bottled salad dressings for marinades with pork tenderloin and chicken. I love to cook chicken this way and use the pork tenderloin on a shish kabob after marinating. This article will not change my approach to cooking.
 
Meathead agrees with the NY Times. Link

Myth: Marinades penetrate deep into meat. Marinades are primarily a surface treatment. Period. End of story.

****


Marinades, unless they are heavy with salt, in which case they more properly are called brines, do not penetrate meats very far, rarely more than 1/8", even after many hours of soaking.

***

He goes on to devise a blind taste test that marinaders are challenged to. But he does say that some foods like fish and eggplant do absorb it deeply.

Photos of various meats marinaded for 18 hours in a marinade that included green dye show how little it penetrates.

Sirloin after 18 hours:
marinated_beef.jpg


Pork chop after 18 hours:
marinated_pork.jpg


Several more pics at his site.
 
I've read several articles that indicate that a marinade doesnt get as far into the meat as we think it does and I tend to believe them. I dont think that means we shouldn't use marinades, I just think it doesnt get in the meat that far. But just because it doesnt get in the meat that far, doesnt mean we dont taste it. When we take a bite, the majority of what we taste is the surface of the meat. And for chicken, I think it gets trapped by the skin or something so I tend to taste more.

It's interesting someone brought up carne asada. I typically will grill skirt steak or flap meat with just a dry rub. I find that I like the crust I get and still keep the inside tender. I will also occasionally marinade it and get a different texture and flavor.

I like when people challenge common wisdom. It forces us to think about why we do what we do. It doesnt have to change what we believe or what we do, just make us think about it. It's not about right or wrong, it's about different ways to do things.
 
Daryl - D.B. said:
I've read several articles that indicate that a marinade doesnt get as far into the meat as we think it does and I tend to believe them. I dont think that means we shouldn't use marinades, I just think it doesnt get in the meat that far. But just because it doesnt get in the meat that far, doesnt mean we dont taste it. When we take a bite, the majority of what we taste is the surface of the meat. And for chicken, I think it gets trapped by the skin or something so I tend to taste more.

It's interesting someone brought up carne asada. I typically will grill skirt steak or flap meat with just a dry rub. I find that I like the crust I get and still keep the inside tender. I will also occasionally marinade it and get a different texture and flavor.

I like when people challenge common wisdom. It forces us to think about why we do what we do. It doesnt have to change what we believe or what we do, just make us think about it. It's not about right or wrong, it's about different ways to do things.
Click to expand...
Good point Daryl.
 
Ron A said:
And how many people in NYC do you know who own any type of grill (other than maybe an electric George Foreman or a Panini press?)? Seeking advice on grilling techniques from the NY Times is like seeking advice on birth control from a priest.
Click to expand...

Well said Ron... Exactly what I was thinking. :)
 
Chris in Louisiana said:
Meathead agrees with the NY Times. Link

Myth: Marinades penetrate deep into meat. Marinades are primarily a surface treatment. Period. End of story.

****


Marinades, unless they are heavy with salt, in which case they more properly are called brines, do not penetrate meats very far, rarely more than 1/8", even after many hours of soaking.

***

He goes on to devise a blind taste test that marinaders are challenged to. But he does say that some foods like fish and eggplant do absorb it deeply.

Photos of various meats marinaded for 18 hours in a marinade that included green dye show how little it penetrates.

Sirloin after 18 hours:
marinated_beef.jpg


Pork chop after 18 hours:
marinated_pork.jpg


Several more pics at his site.
Click to expand...

while those pics seems to support the article in regards to penetration of marinade, they don't show flavor difference between marinades and rubs on finished product. and seem to completely ignore vacuum marinating and injections. w/o a blind test of each with good controls on the experiment, I say do what you feel gives the best results for your cooks.
 
I have cooked meat, chicken, and pork with a marinade and without.. For sure a marinade helps alot...and taste better.
I never heard of anyone that i know say that it will penetrate deep in the food..
 
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