Three Ways to Boost Flavor while Grilling

 
BY RUTH FANTASIA
ALBANY TIMES UNION

Marinades, rubs and sauces all do the same thing to food. They add flavor.

They just do it in different ways, or at different times.

Marinades are used before cooking and not only add flavor but also help prevent food from drying out, says Rick Rodgers,

the author of the newly released "Barbecues 101" (Broadway)

The one thing they don't do, Rodgers says, is tenderize meat.

The marinade never goes any deeper than about 1/8 inch into the food.

If you detect a flavor difference, it's because the food has become mushy, not tender," says Rodgers.

Over-marinating is a common mistake, Rodgers says. "If you've ever had cottony-textured chicken, it has been over-marinated."

Don't soak red meat or poultry for longer than eight hours, and limit the soaking time to an hour for seafood.

The next most frequent error is using too much oil in the marinade recipe.

"Oil the grill to keep the meat from sticking," says Rodgers,

and cut back the oil to no more than 1/4 of the amount of the liquid in the recipe.

He also says to use a flavorful oil in marinades.

 "If fat grams are the same, then give me some fat grams that taste like something; use extra-virgin olive oil."

Rodgers' other tips for marinating include:

Always marinating food in the refrigerator.

Marinating food in a resealable plastic bag.

Cutting the amount of time in half by vacuum-packaging the food with the marinade.

Not putting frozen foods in a marinade. They will only dilute the marinade and the liquid will not penetrate.

Never using the marinade that you have used to soak meat in as a baste.

Get in the habit of making a double batch of marinade to begin with.

"Sure, you can bring the leftover marinade to a boil, but I don't trust that,

and it will certainly change the flavor of the marinade," says Rodgers.

Unlike marinades, rubs are used when you want to add flavor but not necessarily moisture.

These combinations of spices and herbs can be purchased prepared, such as the ones from Emeril, or you can make your own.

Rubs keep for months in a cool, dark place so you can make up a batch and have it on hand.

Rodgers says to brush the food with a little olive oil before applying the rub.

This will help it adhere and to help keep the spices from scorching.

Perhaps the type of flavoring most frequently used in the United States is sauce.

There are plenty of them out there, lining grocery shelves and decorating restaurant tabletops.

While using the same barbecue sauce every year can be comforting, it can be fun to find unusual sauces.

Don't stop looking for sauce when you leave the condiments aisle; international markets also are good places to look.

And many barbecue pits bottle and sell their own brand of sauce.

But don't start slapping on the sauce as soon as the meat hits the grill.

"Sauces are a finish, they need to be treated like a glaze" says Rodgers.

 "If you put them on too soon, they can drip into the fire and you'll turn your backyard into Chernobyl."

Save the sauce for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

And if you should scorch the food, says Rodgers, "don't admit it."

"Never say the word 'burned', always say 'caramelized.' "