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So I'm actually reading, and *enjoying* a Poppy Z. Brite book.
Which is worthy of comment in its own right, I think, since it's the first book of hers I've managed to read more than a page or two of, and since the overwhelming majority of my social circle seem to be drooling PZB fanthings. _Liquor_ is very good. So tonight I cook gumbo. (It's about two New Orleans chefs. It's a pretty obvious link :)
And I have a question, about marinades. Not specifically about Gumbo - I think I can manage a roux, thank you (though roux anecdotes and advice are welcome). I have long maintained that marinades are, in fact, *the* key to cooking meat[0]. Sauces if you have a piece of meat that will stand alone and you just want to enhance it (roast pork, good steak) but for pretty much everything else you want a good marinade. But there's this problem with marinades. Sometimes, especially if your meat is an awkward shape, you need quite a lot. And to bulk it out, as far as I can see, you need either water or oil. Adding water means you get an ugly scum if you're frying, and can make the meat ... well, watery. Adding oil can make the meat, well, oily :) That's not a huge deal for, say, a gumbo, but if you're doing chicken salad, the last thing you want is hunks of meat dripping oil.
Anyone have any good marinade advice? I think maybe just using oil and draining the meat well before serving will work, but it'd be nice if there were a more elegant solution. Less marinade and more frequent turning of the meat as it marinades, maybe, but that's a pain in the arse.
sol.
[0] Well, that and getting a good piece of meat to start with. And cooking it right, evidently. But that's about it.
Which is worthy of comment in its own right, I think, since it's the first book of hers I've managed to read more than a page or two of, and since the overwhelming majority of my social circle seem to be drooling PZB fanthings. _Liquor_ is very good. So tonight I cook gumbo. (It's about two New Orleans chefs. It's a pretty obvious link :)
And I have a question, about marinades. Not specifically about Gumbo - I think I can manage a roux, thank you (though roux anecdotes and advice are welcome). I have long maintained that marinades are, in fact, *the* key to cooking meat[0]. Sauces if you have a piece of meat that will stand alone and you just want to enhance it (roast pork, good steak) but for pretty much everything else you want a good marinade. But there's this problem with marinades. Sometimes, especially if your meat is an awkward shape, you need quite a lot. And to bulk it out, as far as I can see, you need either water or oil. Adding water means you get an ugly scum if you're frying, and can make the meat ... well, watery. Adding oil can make the meat, well, oily :) That's not a huge deal for, say, a gumbo, but if you're doing chicken salad, the last thing you want is hunks of meat dripping oil.
Anyone have any good marinade advice? I think maybe just using oil and draining the meat well before serving will work, but it'd be nice if there were a more elegant solution. Less marinade and more frequent turning of the meat as it marinades, maybe, but that's a pain in the arse.
sol.
[0] Well, that and getting a good piece of meat to start with. And cooking it right, evidently. But that's about it.