Caprioli, deer, hares e boars, but also pheasants e rabbits wild animals are very particular because they require a very different treatment from the typical beef or pork that we cook every day. One of the basic steps to get tasty and tender meats is undoubtedly that of the marinating. Obviously you don't have to improvise with the ingredients, there are some tricks and tips that must be followed to the letter to obtain valuable results.
What is marinating
The marinade is a very simple procedure which can be performed comfortably at home, before cooking meat or fish. It consists of dipping the fillet in red or white wine with the addition of various spices, all to make it more tender and tasty, eliminating the wild flavor that not everyone likes.
As for the maturation, also the marinade has different times. Much depends on the type of meat, from the greatness. For example those fresh they need one marinating for about 48 hours because we must also include the maturation, those frozen, which have already been treated may have one marinating of 6-12 hours, such as vacuum-packed ones.
The characteristics of the marinade
To ensure that the meat is able to release its flavor in the best possible way, the marinating it must necessarily be composed knows three elements.
Acid: the fundamental ingredients are the lemon and orange juice, wine, yogurt, beer or vinegar. These act on the composition of the meat by breaking down the proteins present which consequently become more sensitive to flavors.
Oily: present inside theextra virgin olive oil but also of seeds or salted butter. These ingredients hold water, preventing the meat from dehydrating before cooking or from drying out as you prepare it.
Aromatic: usually they are spices and herbs that change according to the meat and personal tastes. Their function is to add flavor and slightly dampen the wild flavor of the meat.
For those who want a stronger taste, it is also possible to add some sauces, such as soy or Worcestershire, a lot depends on the type of recipe you are going to prepare and above all on your tastes.
What not to do when marinating
Although the procedure is very simple, at times it risks making even the most experienced cooks fall into mistakes that can compromise the goodness of the meat.
The first thing to avoid is to prick the fish or meat both during marinating and during cooking. In this way there is a risk of losing precious juices to the game.
Moderate the use of salt because not only is there a risk of having an excessively tasty dish, but the meat could dry out. Salt, in fact, tends to let the moisture out of the meat and in this way it loses softness.
Important for health, more than for the success of the dish and that of do not use the original marinade to wet the meat during cooking. While immersed in liquids, meat tends to release organic fluids which can generate bacteria that could be dangerous to health.
The best solution is to prepare the marinade and set aside a third of it before putting the meat inside. The latter, once the rest period has elapsed, must be thrown away and replaced with the one set aside.
The types of marinade
As the meats are not all the same, even the marinating has differences inside, in fact, there is the cooked one and the raw one.
La cooked marinade it is suitable for all those meats of large or non-young animals. With this procedure, the aging has better results and makes the meat softer. Furthermore, these they can be cooked every 4-5 days In the period wintry and each 2-3 days in the hot season. In this way, the preservation of the meat is longer.
To cook the cooked marinade, you have to remove and drain the meat. At this point, pour the liquid into a saucepan and add half a glass of wine, half a lemon or vinegar and a half of oil. Now put the meat inside a bowl, and add the marinade that you have renewed with the new liquids.
How to prepare cooked marinade
Prepare this type of recipe is quick and easy, you just need the right ingredients and in a short time you will have the desired result.
For a kilo of meat use 100 gr. of onions, 100 gr. carrots, 2 leeks, parsley, 1 stalk of celery, 1 clove of garlic, 1 sprig of thyme, 2 bay leaves, 4 glasses of good red wine, 1 glass of good vinegar, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, pepper in grains, 10 gr. of salt.
Cut slice the onion, carrots, leeks, celery, and remove the garlic shirt. Put them in a saucepan with the oil and brown the vegetables. When they are golden, add the wine, vinegar, pepper, salt, thyme, bay leaf. Bring to a boil and when it reaches the temperature, lower the flame, cover with a lid and cook for ¾ of an hour.
Once it has cooled down let it cool and pour into the bowl where you placed the meat.
How to prepare the raw marinade
With regard to the raw marinade, the key ingredient is wine. You can choose whether to use that red or white. As for the former, it is better to use robust wines such as Barbera, Barolo, Chianti, Sangiovese, Merlot.
Marinating in White, it needs dry wines so Vermentino, Trebbiano or Sauvignon are the most suitable.
Once you have chosen the wine that best suits the meat, you will also need 3 tablespoons of oil, 1 carrot, 1 leek, 1 onion, 3 cloves, 1 sprig of thyme, 2 bay leaves, 2 parsley stalks, salt and pepper.
As for the hot marinade, cut the vegetables into thin slices, but place half on the bottom of a bowl and add the herbs.
Once this layer is complete, place the whole meat or pieces on top, add the salt and pepper. Now all that remains is to add the rest of the vegetables and herbs and cover with the wine and oil.
Although the process is very simple, the important thing is make the marinade correctly to make the meat more delicate and fragrant.