Jim Coleman: She's mulling marinating: Her hubby needs a salt-free blend

Q: Do marinades have to have salt? My husband needs to reduce his sodium, so if you have any recipes for salt-free marinades I'd love to have them. Also, can you safely baste with your marinade while your food is cooking? And one more thing (to settle a debate): Is there a culture that invented marinades? I really enjoy your show and recipes, so keep up the good work.

- Lea W.

A: A marinade does two main things: It tenderizes food by breaking down the fibers, and it adds flavor. Although salt can enhance the flavor of a marinade, it certainly isn't necessary.

Three elements are required for marinades to be able to work their magic and achieve their tenderizing, flavorful goals:

First, your marinade needs some type of acid. An acid marinade will transform an inexpensive, lean piece of meat into a tender, juicy, flavor-packed entree. It does this by breaking down the tissue, essentially unwinding the protein strands, allowing more moisture to be absorbed.

You can choose from a wide variety of acidic liquids such as wine, vinegar, buttermilk and fruit juices. Experiment with different acids or combine several for a more complex flavor.

The second key element for a magnificent marinade is the addition of herbs and spices. Use whatever you have on hand in different combinations that complement the food you are cooking.

Try adding fresh ginger, different citrus zests, hot or mild peppers, fresh herbs from the garden, garlic and different spices from around the world. You will probably come up with some favorite mixtures, but there are so many potential combinations you could make a different marinade every time.

The final requirement is making sure you give your marinade enough time to its job - but you also don't want to over-marinate and have your food turn into mush.

This is especially true with seafood. If you keep your food in marinade too long, it will "cook" your food, like ceviche.

As far as using your marinade as a basting sauce, or a finishing or side sauce served at the table, the safest solution is to make extra and set it aside in another container before you add raw food.

A few other marinade tips:

_ Make sure the food is completely covered by the marinade. As a rule of thumb, you will need around a 1/2- to 3/4-cup of marinade per pound of meat.

_ I prefer resealable plastic bags for marinating. Don't use aluminum, because it can react to the acids.

_ Try to keep the size of the meat pieces uniform, preferably on the small side. This allows for more surface area to come in contact with the flavor agents and means less time on the grill, which will cut back on flare-ups and burning.

_ Not all foods marinate for the same length of time. Usually 30 minutes is all that's needed for average-sized fish and seafood. Poultry that is boneless and skinless and in less than eight-ounce portions will be good to go after an hour.

When it comes to beef, pork, lamb and whole or large poultry pieces, go with the "longer is better" theory - a marinating time of at least six and up to 24 hours (sometimes up to two days).

Lea, this culinary item goes back so far and is so widespread that it is impossible to credit any one culture or region with its discovery.

It is known that in the cradle of civilization - ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) - kabobs with meat and vegetables were marinated in herbs and spices and then cooked over open fires.

The term "marinate" is thought to have applied only to fish originally. It comes from the Latin word mare, which means "the sea."

I'm passing along a few recipes for salt-free marinades; just promise me you'll create your own specialty. Then you can settle the debate by saying that the origin of great marinades is Lea's kitchen.

LEA'S BEEF MARINADE

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup lime juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 to 3 tablespoons red wine

4 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly; make 1 hour in advance so flavors have time to blend. Marinate meats for 6 to 24 hours, depending on size. Marinade can easily be doubled or tripled.

LEA'S PINEAPPLE MARINADE FOR PORK OR CHICKEN

1 cup crushed pineapple with juice

1/2 cup white wine

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Mix all ingredients together and marinade boneless, skinless chicken for about 1 hour. Marinade pork or large poultry pieces 6 to 12 hours.

A GREAT NEW FISH MARINADE

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a glass container and mix well. Add fish and marinate for about 30 minutes.

Chef Jim Coleman, corporate chef at Normandy Farm and Blue Bell Country Insert Club, is the author of three cookbooks and hosts two nationally syndicated shows - "A Chef's Table," noon Saturdays on WHYY (91-FM); and "Flavors of America," 1 p.m. Saturdays on Channel 12 and 4:30 p.m. weekdays on CN8. He and his wife, writer Candace Hagan, will answer your questions. E-mail ChefColeman@aol.com.