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> Home > Beef Flavor > Marinades, Rubs, Pastes & Brines
Beef Flavor Factor #5: Marinades & Rubs – Home & Foodservice Use
MarinatingCommonly used with thin beef cuts, such as steaks, a marinade is a seasoned liquid that adds flavor and in some cases increases tenderness. Successful marinating matches the marinade type and marinating time to the beef cut.
Tender beef cuts are marinated only to add flavor therefore need short marinade times—15 minutes to 2 hours. Less acidic marinade ingredients are used since their tenderizing effects are not required. A highly acidic marinade can actually toughen meat fibers similar to overcooking.
Less tender beef cuts, such as several from the chuck, round, flank and skirt, benefit from a marinade with tenderizing ingredients (food acids or enzymes) and a longer marinating time of 6 to 24 hours.
- Acidic marinade ingredients include citrus juices, vinegar, vinaigrettes, salsa, yogurt and wine.
- Fresh ginger, pineapple, papaya, kiwi and figs contain natural tenderizing enzymes.
- Tenderizing marinades penetrate about 1/4 inch into the surface of the beef.
- Beef marinated for longer than 24 hours may develop a mushy texture.
- Use a food-safe plastic bag or nonreactive glass or stainless steel container for marinating.
- Always marinate in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
- Turn steaks or stir beef strips occasionally to allow even exposure to the marinade.
- Never save and reuse a marinade.
- Reserve some marinade before adding it to raw beef and use as a baste or sauce.
- Bring marinade that has been in contact with raw beef to a full rolling boil and boil for at least 1 minute before using as a sauce.
RubsUnlike marinades, rubs are dry or paste-type seasoning mixtures that are used for flavoring. Usually applied to the surfaces of roasts, steaks and ground beef patties just prior to cooking, they often form a delicious crust during cooking.
Dry rubs consist of herbs, spices and other dry seasonings that are pressed onto the beef’s surface. Paste-type rubs are spread over the beef and use small amounts of wet ingredients, such as oil, crushed garlic, mustard, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, to bind the dry seasonings.
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