Wine Marinades

[Mottmott]

In The French Laundry, Keller insists that wine be cooked before using it in a marinade, and that, in fact, using it in a marinade without cooking off the alcohol prevents the flavors from penetrating the meat as much as it would if not used raw.

I do not recollect ever seeing that before with respect to marinades. What has your experience been?

[FaustianBargain]

In The French Laundry, Keller insists that wine be cooked before using it in  a marinade, and that, in fact, using it in a marinade without cooking off the alcohol prevents the flavors from penetrating the meat as much as it would if not used raw.

I do not recollect ever seeing that before with respect to marinades. What has your experience been?

wine as marinade serves the purpose because of its acidity. maybe a bit of the wine flavour too? i dont think alcohol serves any purpose. burning off the alcohol makes the wine 'smooth' which i have always thought to mean that the wine has been 'mellowed' ..i.e. lower acidity...which defeats the purpose of marinading in wine, of course..i imagine the alcohol content in the wine imparts to the meat the alcohol's flavour? hence retarding the effect of the wine's flavour itself? i am only guessing here, of course..interesting, tho'..i shall try it in the kitchen..who am i to disagree with thomas keller anyways...

[Shalmanese]

My guess is that once the alcohol gets absorbed into the meat, it doesn't get cooked off which means that the meat has a sharper, bitter taste which can work well with some things but poorly with others. I guess if your worried, you could just marinate in grape juice. It has the same acidity and none of the alcohol. For marinating, the effects should be pretty much the same, marinades are not a subtle affair.

[cakewench]

Speaking of wine marinades, I don't suppose anyone has one they would suggest for chicken? I love making marinades, but the wine-based ones have always eluded me.

Thanks!

[hathor]

Speaking of wine marinades, I don't suppose anyone has one they would suggest for chicken?  I love making marinades, but the wine-based ones have always eluded me. 

Thanks!

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What about marinating in sherry...then serving with some roasted vegetables/onions?

[Stagiaire]

What has your experience been?

The alcohol in the wine "cooks" the protein and gives it an unappetizing graying hue.