Steak Marinade Recipes

Use the tougher cuts of meat

Steak marinade recipes generally follow a basic theme, oil, acid, and flavoring. The less tender cuts of steak and short ribs are perfectly suited to a wide variety of marinades, ranging from as simple as a bottle of your favorite salad dressing to complicated reductions sauces.

Acid tenderizes the meat

Most marinades have some form of acid in them which acts to tenderize the meat. Many call for vinegar as the acid, but lime juice and wine are used frequently as well. Though combined less often with beef, other citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, and grapefruit can compliment or make up the acid base of a steak marinade recipe as well. Because the acid tenderizes, the best cuts for marinating are the less tender cuts such as sirloin tip steak, top or bottom round steak, and short ribs.

Basic ingredients

The general basic ingredients in any marinade consist of some form of oil (olive, peanut, almond, safflower, corn, canola…), and the acid, be it vinegar, lime juice, or wine, and flavorings.

As simple or complicated as you like

You can get delicious results from simply marinating with a bottle of pre-made marinade or your favorite oil and vinegar style salad dressing. Two of our favorites are: Newman’s Italian, and Annie’s Shitake – Sesame. The Shitake – Sesame is great for shish – kabobs, and marinating both the meat and the vegetables before skewering and grilling.

Use your own flair and creativity

The following is basic steak marinade recipe with which you can experiment and discover your own culinary flair.

Basic Steak Marinade Recipe

• 1/2 Cup oil
• 1 Cup red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar, or rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• ½ tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp. sugar or honey

Place meat in GLASS, flat bottomed baking dish, cover thoroughly with marinade, coating both sides of steak thoroughly, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Modify to suit your own tastes

Start with the proportions listed above, but taste for yourself, and adjust ingredients to suit your own palate!

Variations

That said, you can vary the basic recipe into many different styles and flavors:

Oriental

To the basic recipe, using rice vinegar, add:

• ½ Cup soy sauce (low salt) or tamari or shoyu
• 2 Tbs. Toasted sesame oil
• 2 Tbs. more sugar

Herbed

To the basic recipe, using red wine vinegar add:

Thyme

Rosemary

½ Tbs. additional dry mustard

MSG – Free lemon pepper

Rich tomato marinade (tomatoes contain acid too)

To the basic recipe, using balsamic vinegar, add:

1 Cup tomato sauce or finely chopped fresh tomatoes

2 Tbs. brown sugar

Heat gently

Reduction sauces

Steak marinade recipes can be made to be thicker and richer when certain ingredients are reduced. Boil or simmer 1 cup each of wine and balsamic vinegar, until it is half of its original volume, for added sweetness and richness.

Other marinade recipes

Fajitas

Squeeze the juice of 5 or 6 limes, and combine with:

¼ Cup oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. sugar

¼ Cup red wine

½ cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)

Marinate as whole steaks, or cut into strips for fajitas, then marinate strips (making them tenderer). Serve in a hot tortilla with guacamole (or avocadoes), salsa – fresca, sautéed or roasted red and green peppers, green chilies, onions, and tomatoes. Top with sour cream and more guacamole.

Lime and ginger

Squeeze the juice of 5 or 6 limes, and combine with:

¼ Cup olive oil

½ Cup finely chopped fresh ginger root

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 Cloves finely chopped garlic

For more steak marinade recipes see the Beef - all recipes web site.