Last racking, saving sediment for Marinade

[montanaWineGuy]

I separated the sediment from the wine and added the potassium sorbate. The sediment is strong but okay. I wouldn't make a pop sickle out of it, but I'm going to try using it to marinate the next pork sirloin roast before putting it into the slow cooker.

Is my roast going to be edible or find a new home in the garbage can?

 

[sour_grapes]

You don't say what kind of wine (grapes, juice, kit, etc.) was from. One thing to ask: Did you use bentonite (which is often supplied in kits)? If so, I would NOT use the lees for a marinade, unless you like chewing on grit!

Other than that, sounds like a fine idea to me.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

I don't know about kits, or bentonite. This started out as 22lbs of apples which I sliced up and then I just followed the procedures I got off the internet. What are lees?

I was able to collect 2 pints of this sediment. One of which I'll give to a neighbor. I'm just not quite sure how much to use. Maybe a cup per a 3 to 4lbs roast?

 

[sour_grapes]

Lees is a name for the sediment left over from winemaking. Lots of dead yeast and fruit particles.

I can't tell you how much to use, but if it were mine, I'd want to make sure the roast was well covered. If you put it in a ziploc bag, you can get away with a lot less liquid and still cover the roast.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

Ah. My wine vocabulary is increased by 2 words. I'll have to study up on bentonite for clearing up my wine. Thanks!

 

[Buehler91]

I'd rather use some wine as part of the marinade than the Lees, not sure a yeasty flavor would appeal to me.

 

[TemperanceOwl]

I'd rather use some wine as part of the marinade than the Lees, not sure a yeasty flavor would appeal to me.

Same here! Like Sour Grapes said, the sediment is made up of dead yeast bodies and other unapetizing dregs. I'd make a new marinade with the wine instead.

 

[Jericurl]

Or take the lees, put them in the fridge for a couple of days. It's bound to compress and settle, then take the wine off the top and pour out the last of the dregs.

I can see it being good, but I definitely wouldn't want the solid waste stuff on anything I was going to eat.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

Surprisingly the lees actually taste pretty good. Maybe the nasty stuff, got tossed after the first racking. I've a Pork Roast dethawing in the kitchen sink now. I'll the start marinating later today, and start slow cooking tomorrow.

 

[sour_grapes]

I thought FOR SURE that Jericurl would be in my camp (that is, the pro-marinade camp)! It sounded like the kind of experimental thing that would appeal to her!

 

[Jericurl]

OMG, that is hilarious!

I was just talking to Manthing about this!
I've got a blackberry wine I'm planning on starting today, and I was telling him that I wanted to thaw our pork roast next weekend and use the rackings for a marinade for it. He's onboard with it.

Yeah, it definitely was appealing to my experimental side, but ...not sure about all the "trash" sitting on top of the meat.
Though....I'm wondering if that would help tenderize the tougher muscle parts. Hmmmmm....

 

[montanaWineGuy]

OMG, that is hilarious!

I was just talking to Manthing about this!
I've got a blackberry wine I'm planning on starting today, and I was telling him that I wanted to thaw our pork roast next weekend and use the rackings for a marinade for it. He's onboard with it.

Yeah, it definitely was appealing to my experimental side, but ...not sure about all the "trash" sitting on top of the meat.
Though....I'm wondering if that would help tenderize the tougher muscle parts. Hmmmmm....

My Elderberry sediment was awful. Possible a good insecticide or weed killer. I might try to marinate a single chicken breast tonight, as a test before committing a big roast.

 

[sour_grapes]

.I'm wondering if that would help tenderize the tougher muscle parts. Hmmmmm....

I encouraged Mr. Montana to use it becuase it is acidic, just like most marinades. I always was told that this helps tenderize. However, this article indicates otherwise: http://www.finecooking.com/articles/marinades-flavor-tenderize.aspx. It says it really is only about flavor, because it does not penetrate deeply. I also have a copy of THE book on the science of food (On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee), and he says the same thing.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

In the chicken I can't really taste it. Hmmmmm....

I did as Jericurl suggested and put the jar into the fridge and there was separation, but I mixed it, wanting the full, if any, effect. Oh'well, I'm going to go ahead and marinate the pork roast over night and slow cook it tomorrow, and perhaps that will expose the apple wine flavor I'm curious to taste in meat.

To sour_grapes, I diced up the chicken, so much as the meat would be exposed to the marinade. About 3 hours only did I let it marinade. It was what my hunger allowed.

 

[ceeaton]

Hmmm....if I don't drink all of this Viognier that was leftover from bottling this evening, bet it would tenderize two small pork loins for dinner tomorrow. Hmmm...

 

[JohnT]

I have always been taught to never cook with a wine that I would not drink. I definitely would not drink the sediment, but I like jericurl's idea.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

And it is now going. I add more Apple wine sediment, sprinkled some Italian seasoning + some brown sugar over the top, and the slow cooker will now do its thing for 8 hours.

 

[Jericurl]

WELL?!

(I can't believe you made us ask!)

 

[sour_grapes]

Maybe he is in the hospital!

 

[montanaWineGuy]

Not much to say. Pork is without much flavor. I pulled it all and mix BBQ sauce for making sandwiches. Next pork roast I'll go back to the Orange/Balsamic Vinegar recipe.

Maybe wine isn't absorbed by meat well enough. An experiment to be forgotten.