Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.
Marinating meat for over 24 hours isn't safe
Not only will over-marinating potentially turn your meat into a mushy mess, but the process could also turn it into a rotten one, too. Federal food safety guidelines state that, if kept in the refrigerator for extended periods of time, raw meat is unsafe for consumption.
Maximum marinating time: If you're wondering about the maximum safe time you can leave marinated steaks in the fridge, according to the government's food safety tips, you can marinate beef in the fridge for up to 5 days (I never do more than 2-3 though, because I'm a hygiene stickler).
How long should I let steak marinate? Marinate steak for at least 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. However, for best results, use a steak marinade for several hours or overnight. The extra time allows the steak fibers to break down and tenderize before cooking.
For the best flavor, I recommend marinating the steaks for at least 8 to 12 hours and up to 24 hours. The steaks will still be delicious if they're only in the marinade for 4 hours or so. However, more time is better when it comes to this marinade. The same method works for chicken or pork.
Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.
Always marinate in the refrigerator. Marinating at room temperature can allow dangerous bacteria to grow and lead to foodborne illnesses. Marinate vegetables for 15 to 30 minutes, fish and seafood for 15 minutes to one hour, poultry for 30 minutes to 3 hours, and other meat for 30 minutes to overnight.
Take your steak out of the fridge about 20 minutes before grilling to bring it to room temperature. A freezing-cold steak won't cook evenly.
In a 1 gallon zip lock bag combine: 3 T soy sauce, 4 T olive oil, 3 T lemon juice, 2 T Worcestershire sauce, 2 t garlic powder, 1 1/2 T dry basil, 2 t dry parsley flakes and 1/2 t white pepper. Add the steaks to the bag, squeeze out the air and mush the steaks around to get them coated well.
Soaking your meat in marinades helps add flavor while making your meat tender. However, depending on how thin you have cut your pieces of meat, the marinade may fail to penetrate all that deep. In such cases, poking holes in your meat will help all the ingredients fully absorb and not remain on the surface.
Beef, veal, lamb and pork roasts, steaks and chops may be kept 3 to 5 days. After cooking, meat, poultry and seafood can be safely stored in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.
Salts and marinades can oxidize the meat cuts and create the brown color. Other situations with very low oxygen can create brown spots.
Remove Marinade Before Cooking: To prevent flare-ups on the grill and ensure properly browned meat when sautéing or stir-frying, wipe off most of the excess marinade before cooking. Keep just a little marinade on the meat surface to maximize flavor.
The acid or enzyme in a marinade causes the meat's tissue to weaken on the surface, but it must be used minimally and not for extended periods. Otherwise, the meat will become mushy, tough, and dry. A successful marinade has the right balance of acid, oil, and seasonings.
When preparing meat to be cooked, a great option for naturally tenderizing your meat is to use a marinade. Not only will acid within marinades break down the connective tissues and leave your meat more tender, but marinades will also add great flavor to every bite.
Olive Oil: The olive oil in a marinade helps release the flavor of the herbs, seasonings, and spices. It also adds moisture and helps to prevent sticking when grilling.
Briefly soaking meat in a solution of baking soda and water raises the pH on the meat's surface, making it more difficult for the proteins to bond excessively, which keeps the meat tender and moist when it's cooked.
Marinating meat is an effective way to introduce extra moisture and flavour into meat which may become too dry when cooked. Marinades use acid, fat, seasoning, herbs, spices, sugar and salt to tenderise the meat and enhance the flavour.
Make sure the container of marinating food is fully covered. Place it on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator (at or below 40°F), not on the kitchen counter. This will keep food out of the temperature "danger zone," which is the temperature range where bacteria multiplies and may reach unsafe levels.
In those cases, leaving steak marinated for too long could result in an undesirable texture or flavor. Be sure to check the recipe for maximum recommended timing. Keep marinated steak covered while it is in the refrigerator.
Marinade Steak
Let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but around 4 hours is ideal. The longer the steaks marinate, the more flavor they will have!
Marinating allows the muscle fibers in the meat to soak up flavor before hitting the grill. Cut slits into the steak before marinating to allow the flavor to penetrate deeper into the meat.
You can marinate your steaks for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. The longer you leave the steaks marinating the more tender and flavorful they will be, but you would be shocked how great the steak will turn out after even just a few hours.