Bag It

Some years ago, when he was asked to name America’s greatest contribution to cooking, Paul Bocuse replied “Plastic spatulas.” Here’s another suggestion: tightly sealable heavy-duty plastic food bags. Nothing beats them for marinades.

It’s important that containers for marinades and marinating meats be non-reactive--that is that they be made from materials (plastic, glass, stainless steel) that won’t react to acids. Sealable heavy-duty plastic food bags (get the ones made for freezing) are non-reactive, plus they have the added advantage of being flexible. If you’ve ever tried to turn meat in a glass baking dish in an attempt to distribute the marinade evenly, you know what a boon it is to be able to twist, turn and even massage the meat without taking it out of its marinade.