What Vinegar Does to Meat

• Proteins in meat are like coiled ribbons. Acid, such as vinegar or citrus juice, causes the proteins to unwind into long, loose strands. But, after prolonged marination, the acid catalyzes the opposite action. Overexposed proteins form tight bundles, which squeeze the moisture out of the meat. The loss of moisture causes the flesh to become tough and rubbery. Marinade needs about an hour to penetrate shrimp and impart flavor. But, due to their size, shrimp toughen after marinating only a few minutes if the mixture contains vinegar. Only use cooking oil, herbs and spices in a shrimp marinade to protect the integrity of the meat.

Baste Instead of Marinate

• It is safe to add vinegar to shrimp later in the cooking process, when the proteins are more stable. If you are grilling shrimp, baste them with a vinegar-based sauce as they roast over the flame. Mix vinegar with oil, herbs and spices to make a vinaigrette, and apply the vinaigrette with a basting brush. Avoid over-saturating the brush: Excess liquid that drips into the flame can cause flare-ups, which lead to uneven cooking and charring. Leave shrimp in their shells if you are grilling them. The shells trap moisture while the shrimp cook and protect the flesh from excessive charring.

A Flavorful Finishing Touch

• Another option for including vinegar in a shrimp recipe is to add a vinegar-based finishing sauce to the shrimp immediately before you serve them. A finishing sauce is appropriate for grilled, sautéed or oven-roasted shrimp. Since shrimp are small, the simplest way to add the sauce is to toss the cooked shrimp in the mixture rather than brushing it on each individual piece. Simmer balsamic vinegar with butter and seasoning to create a simple but flavorful sauce. If you sauté the shrimp, you can add the vinegar to the pan when shrimp finish cooking, using the butter and seasonings from the shrimp to create the sauce. Think of the sauce like a glaze: It should lightly coat the shrimp, not engulf them.

Other Harmful Ingredients

• Raw pineapple, figs, melon, ginger and papaya contain enzymes that destroy the texture of raw meat, including shrimp. Whereas vinegar toughens raw shrimp, protein enzymes make the flesh mushy. Do not include these ingredients in your marinade. If you want to include any of them in the dish, incorporate the enzymatic ingredient and shrimp after you cook them.