Vinegar is a popular marinade for meat and vegetables due to its ability to tenderize and add flavor. White wine or apple cider vinegar is best for delicate poultry and fish, while red wine vinegar is better for tougher meats and vegetables. Additional ingredients such as herbs, spices, and sauces can be added to enhance the flavor.
Whether the purpose is to tenderize a piece of meat, to infuse it with a complexity of flavors, or both, vinegar is the go-to marinade for many cooks. Nearly all marinades include some sort of acidic liquid to help break down the connective tissue in meat or the fibers in prickly vegetables, and vinegar does the job especially well. Grocery store shelves are stocked with everything from vinegary marinades made with red or white wines to those incorporating fruity fig or savory balsamic vinegar. The best vinegar marinade to choose will depend on its purpose and the quality and combination of ingredients in the dish.
The more delicate flesh of poultry or fish generally responds best to a white wine, apple cider, or even a rice wine-based vinegar marinade. It’s important to know that because vinegar marinades start nibbling away at the collagen as soon as the meat hits the liquid, a shorter marinating time is needed. Fish, in particular, will actually start to “cook” if left to marinate for too long.
White or apple cider vinegar marinade for fish and poultry can handle any number of additions. Many cooks use a little olive or canola oil to coat the meat and keep it moist while cooking. Chopped fresh herbs like basil, rosemary or tarragon help deepen the flavor and ginger adds a spicy note. Some cook like a little mustard and some prefer an Asian soy sauce note. A little garlic, a pinch of pepper and – voila! – the marinade is ready.
Red meat, pork, and tough vegetables are best with the red wine vinegar marinade. Marinade times can be much longer for red meat because red meat is less delicate than white. Many cooks use a vinegar-based marinade to prepare meat for the barbecue and add mustard and ketchup or tomato paste, as well as lots of chopped onion, green pepper and ginger pureed in the blender. Depending on what kind of flavor they’re looking for, cooks might add a handful of raisins or a few shakes of steak sauce, hot sauce, or even curry.
White wine vinegar can be used in a pinch, but most chefs find its flavor a little too overpowering. If the cook is preparing a cheaper, tougher cut of meat and has nothing else on hand, however, the white wine vinegar will break down the connective tissue in the meat very well. It’s a good idea to add some olive oil and perhaps deepen the flavor with steak or soy sauce.
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