The world of marinades and rubs can be pretty confusing to the novice cook. Some say that steak marinades are a must, while others recommend just salting your steak and tossing it on the grill. You'll hear that marinades tenderize meat and that they toughen it, that some are better than others, and that certain ingredients work magic on a cheap steak. Is there truth in any of it? Let's take a look at some of the basics behind marinating to help you find the best steak marinades for your situation.

First, just what is a marinade? In most cases, it's a flavorful liquid with a mildly to strongly acidic base that's used to get flavor into the meat. The liquid permeates your steak, infusing it with the taste of the marinade.

Pickles: A Healthy Snack with Snap
Pickles are a popular snack, side dish, and condiment. But did you know that pickles are also a healthy part of your diet? There are many different pickle recipes out there, but each version has its own healthy benefits depending on the ingredients that went into the pickle and the method used for pickling, whether fermented or packed with vinegar. Pickles are great for most diets because not only are they low in calories, and low in fat or fat-free, many versions are also low in sugar.

Health Benefits of Wu Long Tea
Research studies on the health benefits of wu long tea (also referred to as oolong tea) reveal the brews potential to reverse signs of aging, facilitate weight loss, and promote overall wellness.While all teas possess similar properties including caffeine, catechin, polyphenals, and teaflavin tearubigin that provide benefits to the human body, the quantities and percentages differ depending on the extent of oxidation during production.

 

Garlic Fights More Than Vampires
Closely related to onion, shallot, and leek, garlic has been known for more than 5,000 years for its special smell, taste and healing powers. Throughout all of recorded history, people have been using garlic for a variety of purposes; either culinary or medical. It come as a surprise to some, but apart from its legendary powers to "scare vampires away," garlic has been considered for centuries a natural health improver that originates from a simple perennial plant.