Milk as a marinade or braising liquid

[snowangel]

In the past, I have braised a pork loin in milk (ala Marcella Hagan). As I get ready to braise some pheasant, a friend suggested an overnight soak in milk.

Why?

[srhcb]

Milk or buttermilk in a marinade is used primarily as a tenderizer. It isn't supposed to impart any flavor, in fact, some claim it tones down the "gamey" edge wild foods sometimes have.

SB (it does work well with pheasant)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Buttermilk makes a great marinade for chicken.  Flavor the milk with the same kinds of ingredients you would use in an oil and vinegar marinade (onions, garlic, herbs, ginger, soy, lime, etc.  Tandoori chicken is made by first soaking the chicken in seasoned yogurt or buttermilk.  Typically red food coloring is added to that soaking mixture to attain the bright red color often found in tandoori...  Buttermilk is the recommended “marinade” for a truly authentic southern fried chicken....  Buttermilk can amazingly remove some of the fishiness of older fish.  Allow fish fillets to soak in buttermilk for an hour or two and that will help get rid of some of the fishy taste.

the source

Yes, southern fried chicken always needs a buttermilk marinade to be done authentically ...

[chezcherie]

a lot of recipes suggest soaking anchovies in milk to tone down the fishy flavor. (they're fish, i say--shouldn't they BE fishy?)

[Gifted Gourmet]

(they're fish, i say--shouldn't they BE fishy?)

←

Yeah, but they shouldn't be, you know, offensively aquatic! just subtle and inviting ...

[shellfishfiend]

We have always soaked venison in milk overnight before frying. It seems to draw out some of the blood and also makes for tender strips of fried deer goodness.

[Malkavian]

marinating fish in milk (especially non-bony fish like skate or shark) works well to tone down the ammonia 'fishy' notes.

Soaking porkchops in buttermilk before breading and frying is just heavenly

Edited December 4, 2006 by Malkavian (log)

[howard88]

I have used milk to soak beef liver.

It seems to take pull some of the blood from

the liver and removes an edginess or harshness

from the taste when sauteed.

[KendallCollege]

Milk (or dairy-products) pulls the blood out of offal. Why?

[cookaburra]

I always soak defrosted and cut calamari tubes in milk for both sauteeing and frying.It tenderizes it like nothing else.I heard that it breaks down the protein in the calamari.Is this true?

[HungryC]

I sometimes soak frozen seafood (fish fillets, peeled shrimp) in milk before cooking....it seems to perk up the flavor & remove the "frozen" taste, but I can't say that I've ever done a soak/nonsoak comparison. It's just part of my family's culinary culture, I guess.

[Pontormo]

There are a number of Italian regions that braise meat in milk as original post suggests. The method produces a wonderful, silky texture even without a marinade. Moist, tender with a very interesting sauce. Here's one from Emilia-Romagna. I wonder if soaking does some of the same things to raw meat that is destined for a shorter cooking period, e.g. buttermilk bath for fried chicken with an outer coating of bread that seals in the moisture. I have no idea how this compares to salted water in brining, an olive oil or wine marinade.....

Edited December 5, 2006 by Pontormo (log)