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- Joined Jan 12, 2010
To the experts out there, how do I dissect a recipe to find out what I didn’t like about it? I understand about trial and error but is there a way to narrow down what to adjust, delete or add to get the flavor you want?
For example, I made a Sauerbraten this weekend. 3 days with the beef marinating in wine, vinegar, juniper berries, cloves, mustard seeds, carrots, onions, etc. etc. etc and then four hours in the oven. The beef had a decent flavor but had a slight bitterness. The sauce had a stronger bitterness that didn’t work at all for me. There was also a deepness of flavors that was missing. With 3 days marinating and a 4 hour covered cook, I expected more.
IMO the marinade is where the bitterness started (maybe the red wine more than the vinegar) as the sauce and the meat had it. Juniper berries have a nice gin sweetness to them but not bitter. Not sure about mustard seeds or whole cloves when marinating for a week and then four hours in the oven.
Do spices go bitter in a long marinade? Where do I start? Thanks in advance!
For example, I made a Sauerbraten this weekend. 3 days with the beef marinating in wine, vinegar, juniper berries, cloves, mustard seeds, carrots, onions, etc. etc. etc and then four hours in the oven. The beef had a decent flavor but had a slight bitterness. The sauce had a stronger bitterness that didn’t work at all for me. There was also a deepness of flavors that was missing. With 3 days marinating and a 4 hour covered cook, I expected more.
IMO the marinade is where the bitterness started (maybe the red wine more than the vinegar) as the sauce and the meat had it. Juniper berries have a nice gin sweetness to them but not bitter. Not sure about mustard seeds or whole cloves when marinating for a week and then four hours in the oven.
Do spices go bitter in a long marinade? Where do I start? Thanks in advance!