5 Reasons Marinating Bowls Make Your Meat More Flavorful

Have you added all the seasoning or spices to your steak but still can’t achieve the desired flavor? Are you wondering what you’re doing wrong?  It could be you’re not using the right tools to marinate the steak.

Spices can only add flavor when marinating meat if given enough time and space to penetrate the steak; a marinating bowl is a perfect way to do this.

Marinating bowls have adequate space to properly penetrate the marinade into the meat, and the air-tight lid locks in all the flavor. If you’re looking for ways to make your meat more flavorful, these five reasons explain why you need a marinating bowl in the kitchen.

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What Is a Marinating Bowl?

A marinating bowl is a container that stores or holds foods soaked in a marinade before cooking. This bowl allows food to absorb the seasoning, changing its flavor from plain to tasty delicacies. Marinating bowls are usually glass, food-grade plastic, stainless steel, or ceramic.

Let’s look at five reasons why you should add a marinating bowl to your kitchen.

1. Marinate Different Foods

A marinating bowl is a versatile item to add to your kitchen tools. You can marinate any type of meat, seafood, fish, vegetables, and even soy products; simply submerge the meat in the marinade, and you’ve transformed something bland into a tasty delicacy.

2. Prevent Cross-Contamination

One problem with handling raw meat is cross-contamination. The juices from the uncooked meats come into contact with other raw foods or safely cooked foods, contaminating them with harmful bacteria. Such bacteria can cause food poisoning.

A marinating bowl keeps the meat, the marinade, and other marinating components sealed in an airtight space preventing cross-contamination. Also, it slows bacterial growth eliminating the risk of developing food-borne illnesses.

3. Convenience

You can easily marinate a chunk of meat with a marinating bowl without spilling or creating any messes. The bowls are large enough to accommodate steak as large as a nine-pound rib roast or a 12-pound pork shoulder and large barbecue roasts.

The marinating bowl’s airtight lid means you don’t need to worry about messes on the counter or in your refrigerator. 

Using the bowl and preventing mess is simple and easy:

• Prepare the marinade
• Place the meat in the bowl
• Pour the marinade over the meat
• Put the airtight lid on the marinating bowl
• Store the bowl in the refrigerator while it’s marinating

The extra space also makes it easy to flip the meat over occasionally. Plastic marinating bowls are convenient because they’re collapsible, making storage easy.

4. Provide Space for Marinade To Penetrate

When creating and using a marinade, we frequently turn to the rich-tasting mixture of spices, herbs, oil, and other flavorings used to infuse taste into the meat. 

However, it’s important to note that the marinade’s flavor molecules are too big to penetrate the tissue cells of the meat. These tightly packed tissue cells can only allow a small amount of marinade to penetrate a few millimeters. 

A marinating bowl allows you to soak the meat in the marinade for long periods to absorb as much seasoning as possible. 

5. Multiple Uses

In addition to marinating meats and veggies, you can use the bowl to prepare and serve salads, bake cakes, or mix ingredients. Marinating bowls made from metal are particularly handy for mixing ingredients because they don’t retain smells or flavors from past use.  

Glass marinating bowls, on the other hand, are great for mixing doughs, salads, and ingredients before cooking. Their heatproof nature also makes them great for baking cakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the commonly asked questions regarding why you need a marinating bowl in your kitchen.

What container is best for marinating? 

The best container for marinating meat should be a non-reactive material. Glass, stainless steel, and plastic are non-reactive. However, you must avoid using aluminum and copper containers because they react with acidic ingredients changing the food’s color and flavor.

Is it better to marinate in a bag or bowl? 

The bag and the bowl are great for marinating, but plastic bags are a better option because they reduce messes and allow the marinade to be distributed evenly. 

Can you marinate meat in a bowl? 

You can marinate meat in a bowl if it’s a non-reactive material. Bowls made from glass, stainless steel, ceramic, and plastic are the best for marinating meat.

What are the three basic components of marinating?

There are three basic components of marinating:

• Seasonings: These spices and aromatics enhance the marinade’s flavor and frequently include salt, sugar, sauces, and peppers. 
• Fat: Fat is the base component of the marinade as it transfers fat-soluble flavors into the meat and helps the meat retain moisture when cooked.
• Acid: This component breaks down the meat’s connective tissue to allow deep penetration of the spices. Acids also balance the flavors and counteract the free radicals produced when the meat cooks at high temperatures