Marinata per Arrosto

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large non-reactive bowl or container with lid
• •Chef's knife
• •Fine-mesh strainer

Instructions

1. 1

   Crush the aromatics

   Place the garlic cloves on your cutting board and press firmly with the flat of your knife until each clove cracks open. Do the same with the peppercorns and juniper berries. You want to release their oils, not pulverize them. Whole aromatics infuse slowly and can be removed cleanly. Crushed garlic in a marinade perfumes the meat. Minced garlic would penetrate too aggressively and turn bitter over time.

   The garlic here serves a different purpose than garlic in a sauce. It should whisper, not shout. Four cloves for two cups of wine is restraint. Americans would use a head.
2. 2

   Combine the marinade

   In a bowl large enough to hold your meat, combine the wine and olive oil. Add the crushed garlic, rosemary sprigs, bay leaves, sliced onion, celery, carrot, crushed peppercorns, juniper berries, and salt. Stir once to distribute everything. The vegetables provide sweetness and depth. The herbs provide fragrance. The wine provides acid that will gently tenderize the meat's surface.

3. 3

   Add the meat

   Place your roast in the marinade and turn it to coat all surfaces. The meat should be at least half submerged. If it floats, weight it with a plate. Transfer to the refrigerator.

   Use a non-reactive container: glass, ceramic, or food-safe plastic. Metal bowls can react with the wine's acid and create off flavors.
4. 4

   Marinate properly

   For beef or lamb, marinate 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally. For pork, 8 to 12 hours is sufficient. For game, which benefits most from this treatment, marinate up to 48 hours. The longer marinating times suit tougher cuts that will be braised. Tender roasting cuts need less time. Remove the meat from refrigeration one hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

5. 5

   Use the marinade wisely

   Remove the meat and pat it thoroughly dry before browning. Wet meat steams rather than sears. Strain the marinade and reserve the liquid. After browning your roast, deglaze the pan with the strained marinade. It becomes the foundation of your braising liquid or pan sauce. Nothing is wasted. The aromatics have given what they had to give and may be discarded.

Chef Tips

• •Use wine you would drink. Cooking does not improve bad wine; it concentrates its faults. A simple Chianti or Sangiovese is ideal. Save your precious bottles for the table.
• •The vegetables in the marinade are not garnish. They provide sugars that help the meat brown and sweetness that balances the wine's tannins. Do not skip them.
• •For a stronger herb presence, add the rosemary and bay leaves to the strained marinade when you use it as braising liquid. Fresh herbs added at this stage will reinforce what the marinade began.

Advance Preparation

• •The marinade can be prepared up to 24 hours before adding the meat. Refrigerate it; the flavors will begin to meld.
• •After straining, the marinade liquid keeps refrigerated for three days or frozen for two months. Use it to braise any cut that suits red wine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)