How Long To Marinate A Steak
I more often use a marinade for steaks that arent as tender. Filet mignon or ribeye are perfectly tender without marinating. However, they can be marinated for a short period for flavor if youd like.
Steaks such as New York strip or sirloin can marinate for about 4 hours. If left too long the acids in the marinade can break down the meat too much and the texture can become unpleasant and mushy so dont leave them too long.
Tougher cuts of beef like a flank steak, skirt steak, or even chuck can marinate longer, up to 24 hours .
What Cuts Of Beef Should You Use With Marinades
Marinades really shine on thin cuts of beef. They also do great with cuts of beef that are tougher and need a little extra help to soften up. As weve talked about before, the toughest cuts of meat are those at the steers leg and neck, since those muscles do most of the work. Examples of these cuts are skirt, and flank steak.
Best Ever Steak Marinade
Ive tried so many different steak marinades over the years but Id easily dub this balsamic steak marinade as the best! Some marinades tend to overpower steaks but youll find this one enhances the steaks flavors without being overwhelming.
Balsamic vinegar just add an instant upgrade to any food it paired with. Youll love that highlight of flavor here.
The other great thing about this recipe is that people of all ages will love it! Its flavorful enough to impress the adults but simple enough to keep kids happy too.
This will give you yet another reason to look forward to summer every year! A rich and tender marinated, grilled steak served with all those delicious summer sides.
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How Do You Make A Steak Marinade Without Soy Sauce
If you are allergic to soy or dont like the taste of soy, you can use a substitution instead on in the marinade.
- Consider skipping it all together and just using the other ingredients, increasing your oil and balsamic by cup each.
- Tamari sauce is another Japanese sauce you can use that tastes like soy but is thicker and more flavorful than soy sauce.
- Coconut aminos make a good substitution for soy sauce.
- Bragg liquid aminos will help to tenderize your steak and add flavor as well.
- You can also increase the amount of worcestershire sauce if you enjoy that flavor more.
Can You Marinate Fish Too Long
Dont leave seafood in a marinade too long
They tend to be smaller, thinner fish. Trout, cod and salmon are a few examples. As you can see from the chart, flaky fish should not be marinated as long as firm fish because they will cook faster in the marinade. Be sure to never serve seafood with uncooked marinade.
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Final Thoughts On Steak Marinade
We dont start out as grilling pros, but we all have to start somewhere! This steak marinade works great on our luxurious cuts, and we are happy to share that this marinade hasnt disappointed anyone yet. Over time, you will probably want to tweak this recipe to suit your liking a little better, and that is totally fine! However, these tips and tricks will last you a lifetime tweaked or not. Check out our excellent cuts of meat today here, and get to cooking!
Once You Know How To Make Steak Marinade You’ll Be Able To Turn Even The Toughest Cuts Of Beef Into A Moist Tender And Flavorful Meal
When it comes to types of steak, not all cuts are created equal. Filet mignon, ribeye and porterhouse steaks are easy to cook up nice and juicy. Other cuts are not so lucky. Thats why its important to know how to make a steak marinade. Some steaks benefit from soaking in a marinade before cooking for tender, flavorful results.
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What To Serve With The Ultimate Ribeye Steak
With a steak this good, you have to serve it up alongside other hearty, tasty sides! Steak and potatoes is always a classic- whether you want mashed, roasted, or hasselback potatoes, the flavor of each will pair perfectly with a tender, flavorful steak. I also like serving steaks up with some fresh grilled veggies and a casserole for a complete, satisfying meal.
Side Dishes
How Long Do You Marinate Steak
Even though I swear by the 20-minute time on this marinade, you can soak it for longer. For example, if you have extra time or want to make this marinade in the morning or the night before, you can either make it and marinate it longer or put it all together 20 minutes before you are ready to grill.
If you are using a lesser cut of steak, you can go longer to really tenderize it. If you get in a real pickle or forget about it, your steak will still be good to cook for up to 24 hours in a marinade.
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Liquids That Can Tenderize: Think Dairy
If you are looking for liquids to help with tenderizing your meat think dairy! Milk, buttermilk, and yogurt have historically been used to tenderize game.
Soaking your steak in three cups of buttermilk can help to tenderize. You can do this in a large ziplock baggie for at least 30 minutes to overnight in the fridge. This method can be used as an alternate method of marinating by seasoning the steak before placing it in the buttermilk, then grilling.
Alternatively, after your buttermilk soak, marinate in your favorite flavor marinade for at least an hour. Be sure to rinse off the buttermilk and pat-dry before the second marinade.
Keep in mind that dairy marinating is totally optional. It is still best to buy the more expensive cut to provide tenderness. Just try the various options and see what which you prefer.
Wash your hand before you prepare your steak!
To Make The Steaks In A Skillet
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How Do You Make Marinade
Its quite simple! When I make a marinade, I aim to combine the following: some form of acid to tenderize , an oil and flavor. I always add some salt for flavor, but I also like to add garlic, onion or onion powder and dried seasonings. Whisk the ingredients together and toss with your choice of meat. Small pieces of meat season faster, so you wont have to marinate them for very long. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard. Cook however youd like and enjoy your juicy, flavorful meat.
What To Serve With This 3
This 3-ingredient steak marinade is very all-purpose, so you can serve it with any number of sides. For a steak-and-potatoes vibe, there are a number of great ways to cook potatoes and we recommend a loaded baked potato, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, or roasted potatoes. Steak also pairs exceptionally well with roasted vegetables like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, creamed spinach, sauteed green beans or asparagus, or a salad.
If you want to serve the steak with a sauce, you can’t go wrong with a rich sauce like compound butter or mushrooms Bordelaise, a gravy-like sauce that features softened mushrooms. Our go-to sauce these days is chimichurri made with fresh herbs or hearty greens like kale. It’s bright, spicy, salty, and herbaceous, making it a perfect complement to this marinated steak’s bold flavors.
Of course, you can always go a different route and use your marinated steak in sandwiches or wraps. This is an especially good option if you end up with leftovers. Simply plop it on a bun or roll it in a tortilla with your favorite condiments, cheese, or lettuce and call it lunch.
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How To Grill A Steak
How To Make The Best Steak Marinade In Existence
This marinade is effortless to make. Simply whisk together soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and minced garlic. Pour the marinade over your steaks and refrigerate a few hours to overnight. When ready to cook the steaks, remove steaks from the marinade and cook until they reach your preferred temperature.
- You can use this marinade on any cut of steak that you enjoy ribeye, sirloin, NY Strip, filet, skirt steak, flank steak anything you like.
- This makes enough to marinate 6 to 8 steaks, depending on the size.
- Here are our instructions on how to cook steaks in a cast iron grill pan:
- Here are our instructions on how to cook steaks in the air fryer:
- The cooking time will just depend on what internal temperature you want and how thick the steaks are. Use a meat thermometer to cook the steaks to your preferred doneness.
- Rare 120º to 125ºF
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What Ingredients Go Into Steak Marinade
- Balsamic vinegar I dont recommend substitutes here. Balsamic vinegar will add the best flavor. And use dark balsamic, white isnt as strong.
- Worcestershire sauce another key ingredient. This is one of the best ingredients for steak marinade.
- Soy sauce keep in mind the longer the steak marinades the more sodium it will absorb from the soy sauce, so if you only marinate 1 hour you may still need a little salt added to the steaks.
- Olive oil dont use extra virgin olive oil because it has a low smoke point, just regular refined olive oil.
- Dijon mustard this adds a little extra flavor. Dont use regular mustard.
- Honey just a light amount helps tone down acidity of the vinegar it also helps the exterior of steaks brown better.
- Garlic as always only use fresh. It makes a big difference.
- Freshly ground black pepper if you havent made the jump to fresh ground pepper now is the time! It really is a lot better.
- Dried rosemary of course fresh will work great too, use 1 Tbsp chopped if using fresh.
- Steak this makes enough marinade for about 2 pounds of steak.
Can I Keep Steak In The Fridge For A Long Time
Steak can be marinated and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. However, this is not the best option for storage. The best way to store steak is by wrapping it in foil and keeping it frozen for up to three months. The reason for this is because the juices from the steak get released when you freeze it. This makes the steak dry and flavorless. Wrapping the steak in foil and then freezing it will help preserve the freshness of the steak. You should also only store steak in the refrigerator or freezer if it is cold. If you try to store steak that has not been cold for a few hours, the heat from the steak will start to dry out the meat.
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How Long Can You Marinate Steak
Steak can be marinated for up to a day, though the sweet spot is about 6 to 8 hours. Anything more than a day and you run the risk of the marinade breaking down the meat. The 6 to 8-hour spot is great for putting it all together in the morning and coming home to steak ready to marinate at night. Dont have several hours? No worries. You can almost marinate a steak to perfection in just an hour.
How Long Should I Marinate Steak
I recommend marinating steak for a minimum of 4 hours to allow all the flavor to coat and penetrate the meal well. You can marinate this steak for up to 8 hours. I generally avoid marinating steaks longer than 8 hours. If your marinade has a lot of acidic elements, that can change the texture of the steak by breaking down protein structures within the meat, and marinating more than 8 hours can make the meat turn powdery, mealy, and dry.
A quick rule of thumb is if you have thinner cuts of steak, opt for marinating them for a shorter amount of time. Thinner steaks can marinade rather quickly, but I typically plan a minimum of AT LEAST 1 hour . For thicker steaks, 4-8 hours is common practice. The longer your steak sits in the marinade, the stronger the flavor becomes.
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When To Skip The Steak Marinade
Are there times when skipping the use of a steak marinade is a good idea? Absolutely.
In most cases, youll want to skip the steak marinade unless you buy budget-friendly cuts. More expensive steaks, like ribeye, strip steak, and filet mignon, end up juicy and tender without the help of a marinade. Plus, many of the high-priced steaks are also full of flavor, so they dont need any help in that area, either.
Filet mignon is one exception to the full-of-flavor rule. Its not as beefy as other cuts, but its one of the most tender cuts there is. Therefore, a marinade isnt the best option. However, it can benefit from an au jus or an herb butter placed on top after cooking for just the right amount of flavor.
Another downfall to steak marinade is that it creates a lot of moisture on the outside of the steak. Although you should always pat your steak dry before cooking it, marinade soaks into the meat, and some of that escapes during the cooking process. Therefore, if youre looking for a perfect sear on the outside of your steak, you might end up disappointed when using a marinade.
Why Marinades Work Magic
- Acidor Enzyme: All great marinades will contain either an acid or an enzyme. In the skirt steak marinade, the lemon juice is our acid. It will weaken the tough fibers of the meat and enhance flavor. Creating tender flavorful meat. Do not over marinate, however, If meat sits in a marinade too long the meat will become mushy, dry, and actually tough.
- Salts: Salt plays an essential role in getting the flavors to penetrate beneath the surface of the meat. Salt is not only add on its own, but the salt found in the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce helps too. First, the salt draws out the moisture from the meat, then as the water is reabsorbed into the meat flavors from the spices and garlic are carried with it. This allows the flavor to get deep inside the meat while helping to break down muscle fibers helping it to tenderize.
- Oil: Oil is important because it helps carry fat-soluble flavors from the spices and pepper, past the surface of the meat, and into it.
- Put it all together: When you combine acid, salts, oils with seasonings, herbs, and even sugars you allow so much more to happen to meat than just a simple brine ever could. You can tenderize tough meat, add flavor deep within and create moist cuts of meat from normally dry ones. Yup, itâs like magic. And this skirt steak marinade has all those ingredients!
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Our Fav Marinade Only 4 Ingredients
One of the best and nostalgic things about the summer are BBQ dinners!! Whos with me?! Have you ever gone out for a walk or drive and caught a whiff of the heavenly smell of someone grilling? Delicious, right?!
Usually the smell is meat someone grilling delicious steak, chicken or ribs on the grill. Today we are sharing our all-time favorite Steak Marinade that is simple and makes your steak taste so delicious.
The hubby and I LOVE to grill steak for special occasions and this marinade is always our go-to. And best part? It only requires 4 ingredients. We got it from a neighbor years ago, and Im not sure that well ever find another Steak Marinade Recipe that beats it!
What Are The Basic Ingredients For A Good 3
To , your marinade has to have three components: salt, acid, and flavoring. Salt starts things off by seasoning the meat, giving it flavor in conjunction with other seasoning ingredients. Fine Cooking explains that salt can also enter meat cells, denaturing the protein cells and helping the meat retain more moisture as it cooks. Some marinades contain pure salt while others use salty liquids like soy sauce.
Another crucial marinade component is acid, which is seen in our recipe in the form of balsamic vinegar. The acidic ingredients help slightly tenderize the meat by breaking down tough muscle fibers and connective tissues on the meat’s surface. They also add a lightness that can balance out the meat’s heavy flavor. Additionally, fat coats the meat to help the marinade stick to its surface. It also helps transfer any fat-soluble flavors into the meat, and it protects it from drying out as it cooks.
Many marinades also contain additional seasoning, including aromatic ingredients like garlic or onion, as well as spices and herbs. These additions can add extra flavor to the meat, but they’re not strictly required for our 3-ingredient steak marinade.
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