I plan on smoking a 7.5 pound pork tenderloin on saturday but it would be easiest to marinate it today and throw it in a ziploc bag. Everything I see says to marinate it 4-6 hours.

Is there a down side to marinating too long?

Ryan

Not really.. The time you mention is usually a minimum..

It won't hurt the meat but it might get stronger flavored than you like.

OTOH, over marinating causes some people to do unpleasant things.

Here is the last one, alot smaller, next to a rack of ribs on my Weber. This was the first time smoking anything and turned out great. Just want a marinade.

I usually do mine overnight. Have left in marinade for 48 hours and came out great.

Only if citrus is involved. Any marinade, which calls for acidity I would keep to under 4 hours. Even less with fish or seafood.

Why? {seriously} Fish, I guess I can understand but why re: meats?

From my experience if they marinade too long, delicate meats like seafood and skinless chicken can become mushy from the acid in marinades. Acid marinades for extreme times will chemically "cook" or denature most any product. If there's acid involved I pretty much follow the CIA guidelines. Now no acidity and no limits.

Most seafood should not stay in for longer than an hour. I'd even suggest less.

Boneless chicken breasts only need about two hours

Pork loin can go for four hours.

Lamb can go from four to eight hours.

Beef up to 12-24 hours.

YMMV of course.

I suspected as such. The CIA??? They gonna bug my marinade?? Hehehehe..


Good rules of thumb - thank yew...

no problem as long as the marinade doesnt use pineapple. pineapple will cause the meat to predigest.

yes, 4-6 weeks would be too long!
Overnight sounds yummy!

not much fat in a tenderloin...go for a higher cookin temp.... pull it out ... and add some set time.......

never understood the desire to 'marinate' meat. Making it taste like oranges, olives or some other food just escapes me.