"you can also 'cook' with vinegar/lime juice, (i forget the term for it, "

Dear of troy: was "marinate" the word you were blocking on?

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Definition: \Mar`i*nade"\, n. [F.: cf. It. marinato marinade, F.
mariner to preserve food for use at sea. See {Marinate}.]
(Cookery)
A brine or pickle containing wine and spices, for enriching
the flavor of meat and fish.