Saving preparation time when marinating
Use bottled salad dressing, the most convenient and basic marinade available. Choose a dressing that complements the flavor and tenderness of the food to be marinated. Mild, rich dressings such as ranch work well with delicate foods such as fish, seafood, or chicken. You can also use a light vinaigrette for chicken. Higher-acidity dressings with lots of vinegar are better for tougher meats such as beef. Alternatively, you can use yogurt or buttermilk as a base for dressings. These naturally balanced marinades need only some seasoning added.

Saving marinating time
Keep in mind that marinades are used both for imparting flavor and for tenderizing, but imparting flavor doesn't take very long. For instance, delicate fish fillets or boneless chicken breasts do not need tenderizing, so the only reason to marinate them is for flavor, which can be accomplished in 30 minutes or less. Even with denser meats, such as beef or pork, full flavoring takes less than an hour or two, especially with thin cuts, such as steaks and chops. Extended marinating (over 12 hours) is necessary only for very large roasts or very tough game meats.

Saving cleanup time when marinating
Mix up the marinade in a zipper-lock plastic bag, then marinate right in the bag by adding the food, squeezing out air, and sealing. Shake the bag to coat the food completely, then refrigerate, turning occasionally. Marinating in a bag works great for cookouts where you bring your own food because you can simply throw the bag away.

** Asian Recipes **

Go easy on the acid in the marinade, which can toughen the proteins in food. Tender meats such as chicken breast will toughen fairly quickly in an overly acidic marinade. For beef, pork, or chicken, use no more than an equal part of acid to oil to make about half cup marinade per pound of meat.

To avoid tough seafood, use a marinade with little or no acidic ingredients (lemon juice, vinegar, and wine are common acidic ingredients). The acid virtually "cooks" the raw seafood. If acid is used, add no more than 2 tablespoons per quarter cup in the marinade. To marinate fish or seafood without using acid, use a non-acidic liquid such as a herb-infused oil, or use a spice rub instead. You can always add an acid for flavor once the fish is cooked.

** Asian Recipes **

To avoid mushy marinated foods, always limit the amount of time that foods soak in the marinade. In general, foods with open-textured flesh, such as fish and seafood, need less than 45 minutes of soaking. Chicken breast break down after about 1 hour (skinless breast even faster), but thighs and wings can stand up to marinade for up to 2 hours. Foods with firmer flesh, such as beef and lamb, can spend several hours in a marinade without becoming mushy.

Also, ingredients such as yogurt, papaya, pineapple, and kiwifruit tenderize by enzymatic action. If your marinade includes any of these, marinate fish, seafood, and chicken for no more than 30 minutes, and marinate sturdier meats such as beef and lamb for no more than 24 hours.

** Asian Recipes **