The Type Of Marinade You Need To Stay Away From When Grilling Meat

When it comes to grilling, a good marinade can tenderize your meat, infuse it with flavor, and keep it from drying out over the hot flames. However, not all marinades are created equal, and dairy-based ones in particular don't always react well to a grill's dry heat. We spoke with Mike Williams, VP of Kenyon International, to discuss the potential risks and best practices when using dairy-based marinades for grilled meat.

A milk bath may tenderize your steak thanks to its lactic acid and calcium, but grilling presents certain risks. "Cream or dairy-based marinades often contain milk proteins, sugars and fats that can burn quickly over direct heat," Williams says. "When exposed to high temperatures on the grill, the sugars caramelize and the proteins can scorch, resulting in a bitter, burnt flavor." Much like how it's a mistake to cook hash browns in butter, dairy often has too low a smoke point to handle any heat above 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

"This can also affect the texture of the meat, making it a bit tough or rubbery, especially if the dairy has curdled from the heat," Williams continues. "So, while dairy can tenderize the meat when marinated for a short time, using it with a little less heat on the grill is best." If you're new to grilling, you may want to steer clear of dairy-based marinades. They require a lot of effort to bring out their positives, and even more knowledge of how different types of dairy interact with intense, dry heat.

Whether you're craving the rich creaminess of butter or a bit of tang from buttermilk or yogurt, there are plenty of easy ways to incorporate dairy into your next cookout. Marinades always come with risks — whether it's submerging the meat too long, getting the balance of ingredients wrong, or simply not observing smoke points — but that doesn't mean you should avoid the dairy family altogether.

"The best way to incorporate cream or dairy is to either marinate the meat for a shorter time [15 to 30 minutes] or apply the creamy element after grilling," says Mike Williams. Williams also notes that adding a stabilizing ingredient, such as fat from oil, helps prevent your milk from curdling. When you heat milk, its proteins relax and become more prone to binding and coagulating. However, just as insufficient fat causes milk in scalloped potatoes to curdle, adding a touch of oil to a dairy-based marinade helps prevent those proteins from binding together.

"If you do want to marinate with a dairy element, opt for a combination of yogurt or buttermilk, which are more stable and less prone to burning than cream," Williams says. Yogurt, in particular, has a long history throughout Asia as a meat marinade. Just be sure to avoid sugary, flavored varieties and instead choose full-fat Greek yogurts with plenty of lactic acid.