Grilling Anything In A Cream-Based Marinade Is A Recipe For Disaster. Here's Why - Tasting Table

"When it comes to grilling, a good marinade can make all the difference. Tossing your meat straight onto the grate means that all of the liquids drip off, and it's not the easiest place to set the skillet, so whipping up a sauce to accompany the protein isn't a simple task. For grilled foods, the best practice is to make sure that your meats are flavored from the inside out."

""Using a cream-based marinade may sound romantic, but it's actually not a good thing to marinate your meat with," Abdoo explains, breaking the issue down into three main points. For starters, the chef says that milk- and cream-based marinades are not acidic enough to really permeate the meat, instead just coating the outside. This leads to the second issue, which is that the creamy coating is likely to burn when exposed to the intense direct heat of a grill."

"It doesn't end there, however. There's a third issue with that creamy coating, this time resulting in the loss of one of the most prized effects of grilling. As Abdoo explains, that cream also gets in the way of the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction works by caramelizing sugars and proteins and adds a lot of flavor to seared foods. But if you choose dairy for your marinade, Abdoo says, "You end up with burnt cream instead of delicious roasted meat.""

Milk- and cream-based marinades lack sufficient acidity to penetrate meat and primarily coat the surface rather than tenderize. The dairy coating is prone to scorching, curdling, and developing bitter flavors when exposed to high direct grill heat. Dairy on the surface interferes with the Maillard reaction by preventing proper caramelization of sugars and proteins, reducing seared flavor and producing burnt cream instead of roasted meat. Because grill grates cause liquids to drip away and make pan-based sauces difficult to manage, flavoring from the inside out is preferable. Acidic or enzyme-based marinades that permeate meat and promote browning are better choices. Some dairy-based marinades may still be suitable in certain preparations.

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