Dear Lynne,
Is marinade reusable, and if so, for how long? My standard base is just wine and soy sauce. I use it for most meats and fish.
–David from Madison
Dear David,
Reusing marinade isn't a good idea because it contains meat, poultry or seafood juices. Over time nasty microorganisms can develop. Start with a fresh marinade each time you cook. And always marinate in the refrigerator. I don’t want you learning the hard way that potentially harmful organisms thrive between 40º to 140ºF. Here is one of my favorite soy-wine marinades.
Simplest Teriyaki Sauce
Yields 3/4 cup, for marinating 1 pound meat, fish, poultry or vegetables, and doubles easily
The teriyaki sauce holds for 2 weeks in the fridge, but once you’ve used it, discard it for safety’s sake. Find sake in liquor shops and mirin in Asian groceries.
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (sweetened sake for cooking)
1/4 cup sake
1 tablespoon sugar
1. Blend all ingredients in a saucepan. Boil 1 minute and cool. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
