Food - Drink
Why It's Absolutely Crucial To Season Marinades
By MATTHEW SPINA
One of the easiest ways to pack your meals with flavor is by using a good marinade. There are many different marinade ingredients and flavor profiles to experiment with, but one crucial step you must take is properly seasoning your marinade, and not necessarily with spices, condiments, or other fancy add-ons.
There are a few sources of flavor that can make for a great marinade, such as acids or fats, but a proper amount of salt is absolutely essential. Salt doesn't just make foods salty; it also acts as a major flavor booster for all the other ingredients, and tenderizes meats by brining them and helping them retain moisture.
Balance is still key with marinades, so don't over-salt the ingredients or leave meat in the marinade for too long. In addition to salt, a well-seasoned marinade should have aromatics like garlic, herbs, and spices, and smashing, chopping, or bruising your ingredients when making marinade will release their flavors.