Looking to cook a great meal or you are in the mood for grilling but don’t know what to do with the Grill Mates marinades that you have? Don’t worry, we all have to start somewhere. Starting out with some of the basics about how to use theses marinades can take your meal from good, to great.
How you use the Grill Mates marinades is to add one-fourth cup of water and one-fourth cup of vegetable oil, then add the packet of whatever flavor marinade and mix it together. You use this to coat the meat you are grilling for extra flavor.
That is not all that you need to know though, there are many ways to use these marinades to enhance the flavors of your dishes. So, read ahead for more information about how to use these Grill Mates marinades for grilling and cooking so that you get the most out of each of your marinade flavor packets.
What Can You Do With Grill Mates Marinades?
Marinades can be used in many ways, but the classic way to use it is the oil and water mixture mentioned above because it brings out more flavor in the meat that you are cooking. This mixture is easy to make and gives you lots of meal options with Grill Mates marinades coming in multiple flavors. You can choose whichever one works best for the dish you are making to compliment the natural flavor.
With this method, you make the mixture and coat the meat. You will want to use a large glass bowl or reusable plastic bag to make sure that you are getting all sides of the meat. This will give you the best flavor profile in the end. Coat the meat fully, then turn it and coat the underside and other areas of the meat as much as possible. You will want to refrigerate the meat with the marinade for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
This is an important part of the process because it gives the marinade time to soak into the meat so that when you cook it, the inside of the meat will have plenty of marinade to flavor it and it will not just sit on the top like a sauce. The longer you allow the marinade to sit on the meat, the stronger the flavor will be, so you can choose to leave it refrigerated a bit longer if you would like a more potent taste.
You need to cover all the meat, but you want to save a little bit of the marinade mixture to use for later. So, you should save about two tablespoons of marinade that you will use to coat the meat once it has been cooking and has about ten minutes left. Then, you use up the last of the mixture to add another coat to the meat to give it a last-minute boost of flavor to the outside layer so it comes out ready to serve.
More Info
These Grill Mate marinades add lots of flavor to the meat, but the flavor packets don’t have to just be used for marinating the meat before cooking. You can actually use these spices to add extra flavor to your sauce for an exciting new BBQ sauce as well. This easy to do sauce gives a little more mesquite flavor, or whatever spice choice you choose, so that the sauce doesn’t change the flavor of the marinated meat.
BBQ Sauce
To make a BBQ sauce with Grill Mates marinade packets, you need to mix one Grill Mates marinade flavor packet with ½ a cup of ketchup and a ½ cup of honey. Mix these ingredients together until it is fully combined, then you can brush this new BBQ sauce on the meat for the last 10 minutes of cooking to bring out the flavor of the marinade even more.
It is important to add that you should always use a new packet of the marinade, and not try to reuse leftover marinade from the meat. Bacteria can be transferred from the raw meat to the sauce if you reuse the marinade, which can cause you to get sick after eating.
Adding Ingredients
If you would like to have even more flavor for a specific dish, then you can add to the marinade with things like lemon or lime juice, or honey. With one packet of the classic mesquite flavoring, you can make specialty dishes, like honey lime chicken. This allows you to be a bit more creative with your dish if you are feeling a little adventurous and want to add some more flavor to the meal.
To do this, you would make the marinade in a similar way that was mentioned before. You would first need to mix the flavor packet with ¼ cup of oil, but instead of adding water to the mix, you would add the juice from a single lime or lemon, and one tablespoon of honey. Stir these ingredients together to make your new marinade and coat the meat as you would with the classic marinade mixture.
This recipe can be switched up with different juices for various flavor profiles that you can use for specific dishes. Fruits like mangos and pineapples are also good options that add a bit of sweetness to the meat if you want to make a savory and sweet dish for the summer. Or, adding a touch of cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg to a winter marinade can add a bit of something sweet and tangy to your meal.
More Than Meats
Grill Mates marinades can also be used on different types of meals, not just steak, chicken, or other meat dishes. These marinades can be used for shrimp kebabs, Swedish meatballs, and polish sausages as well. You can also use These Grill Mates marinades on non-meat items like vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, and regular or sweet potatoes for a more flavorful meal without the meat.
Savory sweet potatoes with a mesquite marinade or marinated vegetables make for a great side dish that keeps the same flavor of the main dish. The marinade is prepared and used the same way, and with dishes that don’t require meat or seafood, the marinade is safe to use on other side dishes since it does not touch raw meat or fish. Brush the marinade on vegetables, potatoes, and corn for added flavor on every part of the meal.
If you would like to use the same marinade on vegetables and potatoes, then it is safe to do so because the marinade will not be brushed on anything raw, so you can add a hint of the similar flavors to every part of the meal without the risk of getting sick like with meat and seafood dishes.
Related Questions
With all this new information, you may still have a few questions about how to use Grill Mates marinades. So, we have taken a few of the most frequently asked questions from the internet and looked for answers so that you can get all the information that you want in one place, without having to do your own research.
Q: Can I use a metal dish to hold the meat while I brush on the marinade, or do I have to use a glass dish or plastic bag?
A: No, you should not attempt to use a metal dish for this process. This is because the acidity from the marinade will pull out the metallic flavor from the metal bowl. This will alter the flavor of the marinade and the meat significantly, which will affect the taste of the final product, even when marinated correctly. Use only glass or plastic, which will not alter the flavor in any way.
Q: Can I leave the marinade on the meat for longer than 30 minutes?
A: Yes, you can even leave items like beef or chicken in the marinade overnight if you would like a stronger flavor. However, it is important to remember that the longer the marinade is refrigerated, the stronger the flavor becomes. If you don’t want the marinade flavor to be too strong, then you should put it on the meat closer to the time that you will cook it.
This is not recommended for seafood products, which should only be marinated for about 15 to 20 minutes due to the delicate nature of the item.
Q: Can I reuse a marinade?
A: This is a definite, no. If you use a marinade on a raw meat or fish product, you should never reuse it, especially on a non-meat product. Raw meats and fish carry the risk of salmonella poisoning and it is not safe to reuse marinades because of the high risk of passing it on to other food items. Boiling marinades is a method used to lower the risk, as it can get rid of bacteria. But it is never recommended to reuse a marinade even if you boil it before use.
See Also:
11 Best Bread for Grilled Cheese
6 Best Degreaser For Grill Reviews
How Long Do You Boil Brats
Leave a Reply