Marinating heightens the flavor of meat. Marinades may be wine-based or simply a mixture of oil, herbs and vinegar. During long marinating, juice is drawn from the meat, so the marinade may be used in the cooking.
Beef and game, the darkest and toughest meats, need to be soaked in a robust cooked marinade for one to three days. The marinade for lamb depends on the age of the animal: herby and light for lamb, strongly flavored for mutton. Pork is suited to more exotic sweet, sour, and spicy flavorings. For ribs, a barbecue sauce is sometimes used both as a marinade and basting sauce. Meats such as veal and variety meats should only be marinated for one to two hours or natural juices may be lost.