How To Safely Reuse A Meat Marinade For An Equally Delicious Sauce

One thing I can't stand in a recipe is when the directions say to "discard" something or other, especially if it's made from edible ingredients. Why discard when you can reuse? And yet, when it comes to meat marinades, there is a safety issue because you can't simply take a liquid that's been in contact with any bacteria on the surface of the meat and then use it as a sauce. Or can you? The Takeout asked Alex Abreu, a chef at the Massachusetts restaurants Yotel Boston, Vela Seaport, and Deck 12, and he said that it's possible to repurpose marinade if the necessary precautions are taken.

"If [the marinade] does come in contact with anything that needs to be cooked or can carry a foodborne illness, then you want to make sure you heat that marinade up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit," Abreu told us. The USDA backs him up in agreeing that heated meat marinade is safe to use, although that agency would prefer that you let the liquid come up to the boiling point, which would be 212 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, out of an abundance of caution, it might be best to boil the marinade for five minutes to make sure any possible pathogens are killed off. I've done it, and yes, it does alter the flavor somewhat, but so what? It's still tasty, not to mention a far superior alternative to pouring it down the sink.

The news that meat marinade can be reused after heating is welcome indeed, particularly if you don't want to toss out that milk you've been using to marinate your steak, the beer in which you've brined your pork chops, or the mojo criollo that always gives your chicken thighs such zingy flavor. What, then, might you do with it? Well, the simplest thing to do would be to cook that marinade until it thickens up a bit (a five-minute boil will go a long way towards this) and then use it as a sauce to top the same dish. You might need to add extra liquid if it's too thick after heating.

If you've gone with the more standard three ingredient salt-fat-acid combo such as our soy sauce-oil-lime juice marinade, a basic marinade "can make anything from barbecue sauce to a sofrito to a pesto," said Alex Abreu. Marinades containing garlic and onions are especially versatile. Not only can such an ingredient be re-used as a sauce, but you can "use it as a starter to saute your vegetables for a soup or other dish," he said.

If you don't have any immediate plans for reusing your marinade, you can always freeze it in ice cube trays, and then transfer the cubes to an airtight bag. That way, you'll have flavored liquid on hand to be added to cooking projects such as soups or sauces on a whim. You won't even need to thaw the cubes first since they're small enough to melt quickly when added to a hot pan.