Marinades. Toss them or not?

[FoodMan]

Most recipes I have read asks you to get rid of the marinade after using it to marinated a piece of meat. Why??

Usually there is a lot of good marinade left over that can be COOKED DOWN to a glaze or a dipping sauce. I do understand that re-using a marinade after marinating a piece of chicken in it without cooking the liquid will probably send us to the ER. However if it is heated to boiling and reduced, aren't all the nasties dead? Shouldn it not be safe to use?

I do admit that I do toss out the marinade after using just because I've read it in so many places. I'm just not sure I should be wasting anything with flavor in it.

What prompted this topic is Wolke's semi-recent article about marinades where he mentions that the used marinade should go down the drain, Click here for the article

What do you do with your marinades after using them?

FM

[guajolote]

Sometimes I reduce them but I always seem to get a lot of "scum" while boiling. Maybe it's coagulated proteins from the meat?

[col klink]

I save my marinades a lot of the time, it depends on what I eventually want to do with the meat. As long as you boil it for a couple of minutes, the nasties will be killed. Often what I'll do is reduce the marinade to almost a paste (after seperating any oil) and then add a cup or two of cream or butter. Yum, yum.

[JAZ]

Actually, I hardly ever marinate anymore. Ever since I discovered brining, I brine all my chicken, shrimp and pork. After the brine, I use a dry rub or paste (leaving out any salt, of course). With beef, I'm usually braising tough cuts, and, if I decide to splurge on a steak, I don't want a marinade.

[Matt Seeber]

oil based marinades may be used a second time if within a short period of time.

olive oil, garlic and rosemary comes to mind. by the second usage the oil will be even more heavily perfumed with the flavorings.

[torakris]

Sometimes I reduce them but I always seem to get a lot of "scum" while boiling. Maybe it's coagulated proteins from the meat?

This happens to me too,.

sometimes iI boil it down and use it to baste, especially if I am grilling, but other times (usually when there wasn't much to begin with, or reducing it would make it too salty/strong) I just trash it..

I like the idea of boiling it to a baste and adding it to butter.

[elyse]

I've never taken their advice. Sauce is my favorite food.

[Ruth]

I never toss out the marinade when I want to use the same combination of ingredients for a sauce. Just put it through a sieve lined with cheese cloth before you reduce and there should be no scum.

Ruth Friedman