Summary

Whether youre cooking pork, bluefish, lamb, tofu, or zucchini, theres one rule all flavorseekers follow, and thats to put the bulk of your energy into creating a marinade. Salt and pepper just wont cut it, a dry rub can certainly help make some progress, fresh herbs are a must, but a marinade does more than just flavor your food. It penetrates beyond the surface, tenderizing meat, highlighting existing flavor, adding moisture, and aiding the heat from your cooking method in crisping the outside. Bland American basics just wont cut it, and even if youre working with a really expensive cut, or high quality vegetables, youll still want to create a marinade to help enhance those flavors instead of overpowering them. As a chef and recipe designer, I like to make my marinades from scratch. And there is one secret ingredient I always use (even if its just a splash), and thats fruit juice, which is the best thing to use in homemade marinades.

Choosing your juice is the tricky part if you dont have a culinary background or gift. This list will help you choose fruit juice and combine it with other ingredients to create a flavorful bath that your meat or produce is going to want to cannonball into. Its important to work with 100% fruit juice, or hand squeezed juice, and to adjust any sweeteners youre used to adding to your marinades, as the juice will provide sugar. Mix it up with acids, umami flavors, herbs, salt, and spices for a well-rounded mouthfeel.

Read more: The Most Popular Cuts Of Steak Ranked Worst To Best

Now, not all of the juices on this list are going to be easy to find, especially when seeking 100% fruit juice. But tart cherry juice can be found in many basic grocery stores, along with most health foods stores. Youll want to look for dark, tart cherry juice, as

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