Marinating the pork before cooking guarantees a tasty and tender result. You can make your own marinade from scratch, or buy it ready-made. The important thing to know is that a marinade contains an acidic ingredient whose job is to make the meat more tender, so make sure this ingredient is also present in your marinade if you have decided to make it yourself. By following the steps in this article, in a few hours, you will be able to marinate chops, cutlets, ribs or a pork roast.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: DIY Marinade
Step 1. Start preparing the marinade by pouring the basic liquid, which can be fruit juice or wine, into a bowl
The amount of liquid will depend on the size of the cut, or the amount of meat to be marinated. In general, since it is 4 pork chops, it starts with 60 ml and reaches 450 ml in the case of a whole roast, or 2, 7-3 kg of ribs. The rule requires that the marinade is able to completely cover the meat
Step 2. Add the extra virgin olive oil
This component will help to obtain a perfect crust when cooking the meat.
Step 3. Add some natural flavors
- Free your imagination and experiment. Use a couple of crushed garlic cloves or chopped scallions.
- The garlic left to infuse gives the meat an intense flavor, while the shallot is much more delicate than the onion and garlic.
- If you want to give your meat a less intense garlic or onion flavor, consider using the dried or powdered version.
Step 4. Season your marinade with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, according to your taste
Step 5. Add your favorite herbs or spices and blend them into the mixture using a fork or whisk
- Sage, rosemary, dried oregano, and ground cumin are classic pairings for pork.
- To marinate 4 pork chops, use 1-3 g of dry spice mixture. Increase the amount to 10-15g for ribs or a roast.
- When using fresh herbs, weigh three times as much as the dried version.
Step 6. You can marinate the meat directly in the bowl you created the marinade in, or you can use an airtight plastic food bag
- The bowl should be large enough to hold several pork chops.
- A 3-4 liter plastic food bag can easily hold a rack of ribs cut into two pieces, or a small roast.
- In the case of a large roast, you can decide to marinate it directly in the pot in which you are going to cook it, if you can put it in the refrigerator for the time it takes to marinate.
Step 7. Place the meat in the marinating container and let it rest
You can use the tureen or an airtight plastic food bag.
- Let the meat rest in the marinade, turning it occasionally.
- In the case of pork chops, marinate at room temperature for about an hour.
- In the case of fillet, ribs or roast, keep them in the refrigerator by marinating them for 1 or 2 days. Obviously, in the case of large cuts, the marinating time will increase, to allow the flavors to penetrate deeply and the meat to become tender.
Method 2 of 2: Marinade in Red Wine
Step 1. Pour the red wine into a bowl
Step 2. Add the olive oil and garlic
Step 3. Season with salt and pepper
Add herbs and spices.
Step 4. Mix everything
Leave the mixture in a bowl or plastic bag with a zip lock.
Step 5. Combine the pork chops and leave to marinate for 1-2 hours
Step 6. Cook as you normally would
Advice
- Use only freshly squeezed juice for your marinade.
- A very popular marinade for pork is the Cuban citrus marinade. It consists of 450ml of orange, lemon and lime juice blend, 2 or more crushed garlic cloves, 15g of ground cumin, oregano and crumbled bay leaves.
- Stir the meat regularly during the marinating phase so that it can flavor evenly.
Warnings
- Raw meat will contaminate the marinade with its bacteria. If you want to use it to season cooked meat, be sure to heat it to a boil before using it.
- The citrus juice reacts in contact with aluminum, giving food an unpleasant taste. Use a glass or plastic bowl to make the marinade.
