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• Turn this recipe into a buttermilk ranch marinade by adding 1 tablespoon onion powder and 2 additional cloves of garlic, minced.

KNOW YOUR INGRDIENTS

Buttermilk is made from fat-free or low-fat milk to which a bacterial culture is added. The bacteria feed off of the natural sugars in the milk and produce lactic acid as a by-product of their metabolism. As the acid builds up in the milk, it begins to coagulate the milk protein, causing the milk to thicken. Some brands of buttermilk are thicker than others, but this thickness usually comes from additions of starches and gums, rather than an increase in acid. When the acidity in the milk reaches about 4.5 pH, the fermentation is stopped. In most commercial buttermilk, the bacteria are then made inactive, but some regional brands are sold with active cultures in them. Active-culture buttermilk will increase in acidity as it ages and therefore can be a bit stronger in a marinade. Unlike other acids used in marination, buttermilk contains proteins and a small amount of fat, which tend to protect meat from dehydrating on its surface as it marinates.

Garlic-Buttermilk Marinade

Buttermilk works magic in a marinade. It not only delivers the needed acid to tenderize tough fibers, but it relaxes the structure of proteins, allowing them to absorb flavors more readily. And unlike harsh vinegars and citrus juices, low-fat buttermilk contains just enough fat to help prevent meats from dehydrating.

MARINATING TIME

Marinating small seafood and thin fish: 30 minutes

Marinating thick fish and boneless poultry: 1 hour

Marinating bone-in poultry, chops, and steaks: 2 to 3 hours

Marinating roasts: 3 to 8 hours (depending on size)

GOOD WITH

Seafood: shrimp, scallops, salmon, any white-fleshed fish

Poultry: chicken, turkey, game hen

Meat: lamb, pork, veal

INGREDIENTS (MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP)

2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup low-fat buttermilk

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the ingredients in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag; seal and shake.

2. Put the bag in a bowl just large enough to hold it snugly. Open the bag and add the meat. Seal the zipper, leaving about an inch open; push on the bag to release any trapped air through the opening, and close the zipper completely. Massage the liquid gently into the meat, and refrigerate for the suggested marinating time.

Horseradish Vodka Infusion

This marinade is inspired by horseradish aquavit, the killer schnapps that Marcus Samuelson serves at his landmark Scandinavian restaurant. All we’ve done is substituted vodka for aquavit and added salt and citrus to help the marinade permeate the meat more effectively. The vodka delivers a pure, flavorless base that intensifies the other flavors in the marinade. It’s especially good with seafood.

TIMING

Prep: 5 minutes

TIP

• You can substitute hot pepper vodka for the vodka and omit the jalapeño.

GETTING CREATIVE

• Replacing the lemon with a small grapefruit or a lime will give you a completely different flavor.

• For Wasabi Vodka Infusion, replace the horseradish with prepared wasabi paste (sold in a tube), and replace the jalapeño with a Japanese red pepper (togorashi), which is similar to cayenne pepper. Add a tablespoon of minced peeled gingerroot.

• For a spicier marinade, add a chopped habanero or Scotch bonnet chile; do not omit the jalapeño.

KNOW YOUR INGREDIENTS

Horseradish, Armoracia rusticana, is native to eastern Europe and western Asia. It is related to the mustard family, which is obvious the minute you encounter its biting flavor and aroma. Its volatile, mustardlike oil deteriorates rapidly once the horseradish is cut or grated and exposed to air, and heat processing reduces both its aroma and pungency, which is why freshly grated horseradish is much stronger than prepared horse-radish from a jar. Fresh horse-radish root is available year round in most markets, but it is most abundant from late