Marinate the pork

How to marinate pork?

The elements that respond to a perfect marinade are essentially 3: tender meat, intense flavour, sublime aroma. It seems obvious that marinating is the perfect rhyme and combination of the grill, however some tricks also prove to be valid allies in the preparation of other recipes that require soft meat capable of maximizing the Maillard reaction.

The marinating technique therefore develops around different aspects which have as a common denominator that of making the meat even tastier. Although for some cuts you can easily do without, for others it becomes essential to enrich and complete the taste so as to increase the deliciousness.

The ribs, for example, are good even as they are but, just try once to put a marinated dish on the table and the enigma is immediately solved, transforming simple ribs into something sublime.

How to make a perfect marinade for pork?

The perfect marinade exists and responds to a very specific process that leaves plenty of room for imagination. On the one hand, it is necessary to eliminate the wild effect, present in some breeds which, bred in a semi-wild state, hide a strong flavour, such as the Cinta Senese which, coming from the areas it bears in its name, prefers large spaces to reproduce, becoming almost wild.

There are 3 elements that come into play for a perfect marinade of pork: an acid an oil a spice The formula is basic, from here on you can add an imaginative touch and create bizarre or risky combinations, great classics or stick to the magical formula.

How long should pork marinate?

Marination times start from 2 hours up to overnight. You need to evaluate the size of the cut of meat and move accordingly. To make the most of it, the meat must be completely covered and the pork marinade must be calibrated to perfection so as to allow the three elements to cooperate, amplifying taste and flavour.

Marinated pork in the oven

If you need to choose oil for marinating pork ribs, for the baked version butter reigns supreme. Perhaps combined with acidic elements such as kiwi juice or apple cider vinegar, white wine, kefir or the well-known lemon juice.

When it comes to spices, it is the acid element that determines the pairing. If it is a predominant food, it is necessary to create an accompaniment capable of completing the taste without adding other contrasting flavours.

This is why it is better to prefer well-known scents such as basil or oregano to particular spices or to opt for perfectly calibrated RUB to add to the mixture.

How to tenderize pork?

To soften pork, you need to use the skills of experienced master butchers: beating to break the muscle fibers so as to prevent them from becoming tough during cooking and salting to ensure that the juices remain trapped in the heart of the chosen cut. These operations added to a well-calibrated marinade make the dish worthy of a starred cuisine and capable of drawing applause and acclaim right from the aroma.

The practices that revolve around the world of meat aim to guarantee full-bodied and never excessive juices capable of transforming into an intense and engaging flavour. The last precaution to make the meat soft and always in relation to the chosen pork cut is to prefer a medium acidity marinade, avoiding vinegar of any type and preferring beer or dry white wine.

Marination and gambling, the winning choice

The imagination when it comes to marinating ranges across different areas and allows for bizarre combinations, sometimes risky and sometimes experimental and successful. Which type of cooking do you prefer? Here is the first obstacle to bypass before even choosing which ingredients to add to the marinade.

The second step is the cut of pork which must be soft or properly softened, rich in juices and capable of demonstrating the right character.

Marinating pork meat on the grill

Grilled pork generally rhymes with ribs, so the perfect marinade loudly welcomes an acidic compound based on lemon juice, EVO oil enriched with particular aromas such as coriander or rather well-known ones such as rosemary.

Marinating pork in beer

Otherwise called the light marinade which sees the beer - preferably white - combined not only with the grill which is suitable for cooking the cut of meat but also with the marinating phase. The ratio when choosing beer is 1 to 3, so you can think of 1 third of EVO oil, one of white or at least light beer and one third of lemon juice. Simple, basic, linear and perfect for the grill.

Marinating pork loin

Pork loin is a meat defined as gentle or lean, so for the marinade you can choose a delicate solution that offers a sort of pampering rather than underlining its character.

Yogurt is the perfect ingredient that tells of a bond with the Greek land and at the same time offers an excellent result in terms of delicacy and definition of taste. The other elements? Honey, EVO oil and lemon juice as well as turmeric powder for a touch of color and garlic to calibrate and tone down excessive sweetness.

Marinating barbecued pork chops

Pork chops have a certain character which, in order to be enhanced in terms of taste, willingly accept spicy hints such as Mexican-style marinade. The preparation is very simple and consists of perfectly mixing multiple basic flavors that are also essential for carne asada, they are: EVO oil, lemon juice, white vinegar, garlic, white pepper, mustard, rosemary and finally a little bay leaf.

Pan-fried marinated pork chops

Once again it is the cut of meat that is the protagonist but, when the choice falls on pan cooking, you need to show off an ace up your sleeve. Worcestershire sauce represents the magic wand that allows a bizarre and well-calibrated marinade.

The ingredients that represent it are: acetic acid, molasses, mustard seeds, kosher salt, black pepper, cloves, curry, cardamom, chili pepper, garlic, sugar, cinnamon, onion and ginger. An agglomeration of ingredients rich in nuances and perfect for unleashing the wow effect.

Pork and cuts of meat

Pork is told through multiple cuts that too often are reduced to two or three more well-known ones that fill the scene and remove any possibility for other solutions capable of being "lean" and included in diets and controlled nutrition. Incredible, but true, this is why knowledge helps to resolve the imaginative dilemmas that sometimes lend themselves to creating crazy and winning combinations on any table.

The cuts of pork meat, in fact, range from variants rich in proteins and perfect for any grill, to other juicy solutions that require slow cooking at gentle temperatures. If the cooking method offers the Maillard reaction so dear to overseas grillers, the choice of cut allows you to space out and diversify the diet and the main nutrients you bring to the table.