As an expert sommelier and brewer, I can certainly provide you with a detailed answer to the question of whether you should flatten chicken before or after marinating.
Flattening chicken before marinating can be a great technique, especially if you are grilling chicken breasts. By pounding the breasts with a mallet or a rolling pin, you can create a more even thickness, which helps to promote even cooking. This is particularly important for chicken breasts, as they tend to be thicker in the center and thinner on the edges. Flattening the chicken breast ensures that it cooks more evenly, resulting in juicy and tender meat.
To flatten the chicken breast, place it in a zip-top bag and gently pound it with a mallet or rolling pin until it reaches a uniform thickness. Be careful not to pound it too hard, as you don’t want to completely flatten the meat. Aim for a thickness of about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. This process also helps to tenderize the meat by breaking down some of the muscle fibers.
Once you have flattened the chicken breast, you can then proceed to marinate it. The marinade will penetrate the meat more effectively when it is flattened, resulting in more flavor throughout the chicken. The marinade will also have a shorter distance to travel to reach the center of the meat, which can reduce the marinating time required.
When marinating the flattened chicken, it is best to place it in a separate zip-top bag or a shallow dish to ensure that the marinade covers the entire surface of the meat. This allows the flavors to infuse into the chicken and helps to tenderize the meat further. Make sure to seal the bag or cover the dish tightly and refrigerate it for the recommended marinating time.
Flattening the chicken before marinating can be a game-changer for grilled chicken breasts. I personally love using this technique as it results in perfectly cooked and flavorful chicken every time. The marinade penetrates the meat more effectively, resulting in a delicious and tender final product.
To summarize, flattening chicken before marinating, especially for chicken breasts, can help promote even cooking, tenderize the meat, and enhance flavor infusion. By pounding the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness, you create a more consistent cooking surface, allowing for more even heat distribution. The marinade can then penetrate the meat more effectively, resulting in a more flavorful and tender chicken. So go ahead and give it a try next time you marinate chicken for grilling or any other cooking method!