Cook Club: Marinate your meat to add more flavor to the summer grill

Are there happier companions than the month of July and the grill?

We certainly cannot think of one without the other. They are summer soulmates. This holiday weekend you are no doubt preparing for a meal or two involving the grill. Whether your menu includes pork chops, chicken breasts, steak or vegetable kebabs, you must make the choice of how to prepare and spice your food. Just like that Thanksgiving turkey, many people are devoted to certain methods of prepping — brining, spice rub or marinating are among the popular choices. For our grill-ready Gazette KCRG-TV9 Cook Club recipe, Yogurt and Herb Marinated Chicken Skewers, marinating is our method of choice and the technique we wanted to learn more about this month.

Marinating simply means soaking your food (typically meat) in flavored liquid. Unlike brining, which typically uses a lot of liquid and salt in its method, marinades consist of a smaller amount of liquid and salt relying on a long soak (2 to 24 hours) and the varying ingredients to imbue all the flavors into the food. While the marinade only penetrates the surface layer of the foods, that is sufficient to transform a so-so food into one with jaw-dropping flavor.

What are the elements of making a great marinade? According to Lucy Vaserfirer, author of 'Marinades: The Quick-Fix Way to Turn Everyday Food into Exceptional Fare, with 400 Recipes,' marinades can be made with any mix of salty, sour, sweet, fat, alcohol, flavorings and umami.

Let's break down these elements. Salty can come from soy sauce, miso, fish sauce and, of course, salt.

Vinegar, citrus, buttermilk and sour cream are some of the elements that make up the acidic sour flavor.

Sweet, which is necessary to balance out sweet and sour elements, can be created with sugars, honey, fruit preserves, citrus and even soda.

Fats, such as olive oil, sesame oil and coconut milk, bring an added element of flavor to the marinade. Just a bit of beer, wine and spirits may be added to bring in nuances of alcohol.

The category of flavorings is pretty vast as its main job is to add a further punch of flavor to food. Examples include herbs, spices, chiles, shallots, ginger, horseradish and coffee.

Lastly, the element of umami — the fifth taste — is hard to define. Vaserfirer says umami 'adds savoriness, richness, meatiness, heartiness, brothiness, mouth-fillingness and just plain deliciousness to a marinade.' Garlic, anchovies, cheese, ketchup, mushrooms, seaweed and fermented ingredients such as soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce are high on the umami scale.

Now that we know the elements of a successful marinade, it's time to figure out the best way to combine them for a well-rounded, pungent marinade. By no means do you need every element listed above. Ideally, marinades are most balanced when they contain equivalent amounts of sweet, salty and sour along with some fat. This is not a hard and fast rule depending on the flavor profile you are going for, but it is a place to begin. Another combination to aim for is an acidic ingredient or two along with salt, pepper, fat and flavorings of choice. The latter combination is the route we went for in our Yogurt and Herb Marinated Chicken Skewers. Our marinade consisted of yogurt, buttermilk, olive oil, garlic, thyme, mint, dill and salt and pepper. The yogurt and buttermilk were essential to retain the tenderness of our thin chicken skewers as we grilled them. We also used a cup of liquid for our marinade as we had more surface area to cover with smaller cuts of meat. The rule of thumb is to aim for 3/4 to 1 cup of marinade for every 1 1/2 pounds of meat or vegetables. The smaller the cuts, the more liquid you need.

Our first take at the marinade didn't bring enough pizazz so we tripled the garlic and added a third herb — dill — to ensure a flavorful dish. These additions plus marinating for six hours was all it took to bring a whole lot of zing to our petite skewers.

If you are vegetarian, large chunks of vegetables or tofu could be easily substituted in this marinade. White fish also would be delicious but because of its delicacy, fish should only be marinated for 20 to 45 minutes. Beyond that, the acid begins to cook the seafood. If you are going for ceviche, that is great, but for grill-ready recipes, it results in a tough and dry dish.

The beauty of marinating is how forgiving it is — you almost cannot go wrong — and maybe our favorite reason, you can make it hours or even a day ahead of time. Marinades thrive on lots of flavor so bring it on — use fresh herbs by the handful, and you will be rewarded with a dish that screams summer.

Of course, premade marinades abound in the store. While they have their place, they can be full of sodium and preservatives. Making marinades from scratch is a simple task, rewarding you with the knowledge that you can pronounce every ingredient.

Bragging rights at the family barbecue also brings its own joy.

Yogurt & Herb Marinated Chicken Skewers

Serves 4

Do ahead: Marinades get better as they sit so feel free to make it up to 24 hours in advance.

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or tenders

1/2 cup plain yogurt (not fat-free)

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the grill

12 sprigs of thyme

2 tablespoons mint, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper

2 dozen wooden skewers

Cut tenders in half or if using breasts cut into thin strips, lengthwise. Lightly press down on the chicken with the back of your knife to flatten. Set aside.

Place the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Toss chicken in the marinade making sure to coat it completely. Place chicken along with all of the marinade in a large Ziploc bag or a lidded glass container. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but ideally 6 hours or overnight.

30 minutes before you grill the chicken, place the wooden skewers in water to soak. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and begin placing them on the skewers. Start at the end of one strip, thread the skewer in and out until the entire strip is on the skewer. Push the chicken down and spread it out so it cooks evenly. If you like, you can put more than one strip on a skewer.

Brush grill with olive oil to avoid sticking before placing skewers on the grate. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.