Food - Drink
The Fizzy Ingredient That Will Change The Way You Make Marinades
By WENDY LEIGH
Marinating ingredients takes time, so you want to make sure that the marinade itself is perfectly flavorful and will do a great job before you wait for all those hours. Herbs, spices, and acids like vinegar are all popular marinade ingredients that add a punch of flavor, but to be less conventional, you should try this fizzy drink, as well.
Ginger beer is a surprisingly great marinade ingredient for meats. This drink uses citric acid and carbon dioxide to tenderize meats, and ginger also contains a protease enzyme that "digests" proteins to make them softer — just make sure to use ginger beer, which is fermented with real fresh ginger, instead of ginger ale or ginger sodas.
You can also seek out marinade recipes that call for regular beer or sparkling citrus drinks, and either try them as-is or substitute ginger beer to see how it affects the flavor and texture of your foods. You can also expand beyond meats and try glazing vegetables such as butternut squash with a mix of ginger beer, butter, honey, and cloves.