12 Jun Father’s Day Marinade Tips and Recipes By Blend

Father’s Day Marinade Tips and Recipes

Father’s Day is a great opportunity to grill up a quality cut of meat with your dad, brother, uncle or husband and enjoy a summery Sunday. Spice up a classic Father’s Day tradition with these tips from our kitchen. (Don’t miss our three recipes at the bottom!)

First things first, not all marinades are created equal. Of course, your tastebuds are sure to have figured that out by now. But there are a few basics you should know before selecting a marinade recipe. First, some marinades call for fruit juice like pineapple and papaya because they contain necessary enzymes, while others call for an acid, like wine tomato puree or worcester sauce. Some believe marinades that contain those enzymes tenderize the meat quicker than the taste can penetrate the tissues. It’s a little more complicated than that, but it’s worth noting if you’re looking for lots of flavor!

Quick Tip: If you’re marinating overnight with a wine-based marinade, use a lower acid wine like oak chardonnay or malbec.

How Long Should I Marinate Meat?

• Boneless Chicken: 1-4 hours (The sweet spot is 2).
• Bone In or Whole Chicken: 2 hours – overnight
• Fish: 30 minutes to 1 hour, but don’t go any longer than that! The flesh will eventually break down and get mushy.
• Leaner cuts: 1- 4 hours, however it is possible to ruin a finer cut of meat with a marinade, so we suggest leaving the marinade for the tough cuts and sticking to light seasoning for the lean cuts like porterhouse or rib-eye.
• Tough cuts: 4 hours – overnight

Quick Tip: For safety, always marinate your meats in the refrigerator to prevent harmful bacteria transferring from the raw meat to the marinade. Also, as a rule, don’t use marinade made with raw meat for sauces unless you boil it first.

Selecting Herbs and Spices

Selecting the right herbs and spices for your marinade is just like pairing a wine with your dinner. A careful consideration of the flavors and the full meal is required, though it’s not expected for you to have the classic pairings memorized. Here’s an easy spice pairing guide.

Wine-based marinades

Red-based marinade for a steak or white-based marinade for chicken or fish, wine does a lovely job of bringing out the flavors in your herbs and spices.

Marinade Recipes For Father’s Day

Below are three marinades that are sure to have your dad feeling appreciated. Go ahead and try them all, and let us know which one is your favorite!

Whiskey & Honey Marinade For  Tri Tip

• 1 whole tri tip
• 1 cup whiskey OR bourbon
• 1 TBSP chili Flake             
• ¼ Cup of Honey
• 3 smashed garlic cloves

Marinade for 30 min – 1 hour before grilling

Sherry & Shallot For Roasted Lamb Leg

• 1 whole lamb leg / best cooked on grill rotisserie
• ½ BTL of dry sherry
• Shallots peeled and cut into pieces that you can stuff into the leg
• 1 bunch of rosemary
• 3 smashed garlic cloves

Marinade for 1 hour and roast or grill lamb leg

Cuban Mojo Sauce

• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ¼ cup juice from Sour oranges (If you can’t find them in your grocery store, mixing fresh squeezed orange and lime juice will produce a similar tanginess.
• 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 8-10 fresh minced garlic cloves
• ¼ cup mint leaves, finely chopped
• Orange zest
• Minced Oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tsp cumin, ground
• 3/12 pounds boneless pork shoulder (If you prefer bone-in, it will turn out just fine).

Marinade overnight and roast for 30 minutes on 425 degrees F.

Happy Father’s Day from Blend!