# Is this a good basic steak marinade?



## tasty food (Apr 29, 2012)

After googling steak marinades i just put together a steak marinade.  Im on a budget so nothing fancy.  I'll be making this on a pan, since i dont have a grill.

For now I know i wanna add this...
-2-3 tbsp veg oil
-1 tbsp minced garlic
-salt and pepper
-maybe 1/2 cup of water

Here are the other things i wanna add.  I read about acids can worsen the meat if it marinades overnight.  Its better to just marinate for a few hours.  So i dunno how much of these i wanna add or should add
-1/2 - 1 cup beef broth, diced tomatoes, and onions
-franks hot sauce original
-lemon juice

and im thinking of buying some kinda sauce i can add to the marinade.  i want a flavorful steak.  I'd like to leave it in the fridge overnight and cook it for lunch.


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## Andy M. (Apr 29, 2012)

In general, marinades need some oil, an acid such as vinegar or citrus juice and seasonings via herbs, spices etc.  No salt.

An acidic environment shouldn't be a problem unless you marinate for an excessive period.  If you want to cook steaks for lunch, put them in the marinade at breakfast.  That'll do the trick.


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## tasty food (Apr 29, 2012)

i usually dont get up early so i cant wake up and make the marinade.  im not gonna add a lot of acid like lemon juice, just about a teaspoon or half


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## Andy M. (Apr 29, 2012)

Make the marinade the night before and add it to the steak before you go to work.


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## tasty food (Apr 29, 2012)

lol thats a hilarious quote in your sig btw

but it sounds like you're against marinating steak overnight?  Is the meat gonna be tough or produce a sour taste?  I read about that so am a bit concerned.

and i dont have a job, so there's not many reasons for me to wake up early.  i do sometimes, but not for food lol


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 29, 2012)

Marinade for just an hour or two.  There really isn't any need to marinate a steak for longer.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 29, 2012)

tasty food said:


> -maybe 1/2 cup of water


I can't see any useful purpose to adding water to your marinade.

Another ingredient you may consider is balsamic vinegar. A small amount, not a whole lot. It's very flavorful.


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## CharlieD (Apr 29, 2012)

Don't marinade at all. Some seasoning and that's it. You can make some sauce to serve it with, but no marinade.


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## Andy M. (Apr 29, 2012)

tasty food said:


> lol thats a hilarious quote in your sig btw
> 
> but it sounds like you're against marinating steak overnight?  Is the meat gonna be tough or produce a sour taste?  I read about that so am a bit concerned.
> 
> and i dont have a job, so there's not many reasons for me to wake up early.  i do sometimes, but not for food lol




Not against overnight marinating.  It's just not necessary.  As Princess Fiona said, a couple of hours is enough.   Steaks are thin - a lot of surface area for a small amount of meat so marinades flavor the meat quickly.

I also agree with Greg.  You don't need the water.

This type of marinade will not toughen or sour a steak.  The internet is a wonderful place but you can read a lot of crap disguised as good advice.  

I don't get up early for food either.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 29, 2012)

As Andy pointed out, overnight is unnecessary. Perhaps 30-60 minutes. Or as Charlie said, maybe not at all. Experiment. Whatever you like is the way to go. Try different things and keep notes, either formally or in your head.

Another idea I like if you're going to marinate: finely minced garlic or fresh ginger or both. And it might be a good idea to scrape or wipe off to avoid burned garlic/ginger on the surface of the steak.


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## Whiskadoodle (Apr 29, 2012)

A nice steak is a always a nice treat. A marinade does not need to be a large volume. And a little citrus is ok if not   I would omit the water.  Put the other ingredients in a zip lock bag along with the steak and smoosh and work it around to cover.  Turn it a couple times.   The water could be added to the pan AFTER you cook it along with a pat of butter and make a nice sauce.  

When you remove the steak from the marinade,   pat it dry with a paper towel.  Yes,  you will remove some surface marinade.  But you want to cook/ sear it without surface moisture, otherwise it will just steam in those juices which will prevent it from properly browning.  

Personally,  I don't usually marinate steak, not that I get that many times to make it either.  I usually heavily pepper, press into the steak,  a little salt and and add either garlic powder or finely chopped garlic.  Turn the steak only once.   Read about how long to cook a steak, based on how thick it is and how done you want it to be.  Let it rest on a plate before you eat it.  Good eating to ye.


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## tasty food (Apr 29, 2012)

thx for all the advice, didnt think this would get to two pages in a few hours 

i rarely cook steak, im trying to change that though.  when i usually cook steak i wouldnt marinate and it wouldnt taste that great either.  i add spices but i dont get the foodgasm that i crave.  its a really bland taste.  im sure i can do things to change that but marinating the steak will assure me a steak full of flavor and foodgasms.

i wont leave it in the fridge overnight though.  i was skeptic that the meat itself would spoil a bit.


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## GLC (Apr 29, 2012)

When meat has been examined by cutting following marinading with dye added to the marinade, it becomes apparent that there is very little penetration, a tiny fraction of an inch, and that occurs very quickly. Hardly enough to affect the texture of the meat or to add flavor below the bare surface. It follows that you're as well off to simply season the meat right before cooking or soak in your desired flavor for tens of minutes. And acid will do little but add the flavor of the acid, vinegar or whatever, to the dressing. 

It is appropriate, though, to heavily salt steaks and other cuts that will be cooked by a method intended to develop a crust and leave them uncovered in refrigeration overnight to move salt into the meat and water out, so as to retain juices and present the pan or grill with a dry surface that makes minimal steam.

This is not to say that some haven't come to expect a vinegary sort of flavor to some meat preparations, but it's always inferior to the plain seasoned meat.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 29, 2012)

Heavily salt your steak and let it sit overnight? I've seen other advice to not salt it until immediately before cooking.

I don't expect people to agree on this topic (marinating steaks). In my short time on the forum I've already seen several similar discussions with no common agreement ever reached.


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## Andy M. (Apr 29, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> Heavily salt your steak and let it sit overnight? I've seen other advice to not salt it until immediately before cooking...




The overnight salting draws moisture out of the steak which dissolves the salt and then draws the salted juices back into the meat.  Think of it as dry brining.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 29, 2012)

I understand that Andy. What I'm not sure of is whether a steak benefits from dry brining. I read the other topics. I'm squarely in the camp of 'undecided.'

What are we trying to change here? The flavor? The tenderness? What?


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## Andy M. (Apr 29, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I understand that Andy. What I'm not sure of is whether a steak benefits from dry brining. I read the other topics. I'm squarely in the camp of 'undecided.'
> 
> What are we trying to change here? The flavor? The tenderness? What?



I think it's all about salting the meat to enhance the flavor.  I'm not aware of salt's tenderizing properties.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 29, 2012)

Marinades are for flavor.


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## Addie (Apr 30, 2012)

I can't help but wonder what cut of steak he has been buying if it so lacking in flavor. I buy one steak once a month for myself. A Porterhouse. Because it is such an excellent cut of meat, I find a good helping of just salt and pepper brings out the natural flavor of the meat. 

I think the better the cut, the less seasoning is needed. If you find that you need to season a steak, I go with Andy. You don't say what kind of flavors you enjoy. You can pile all the garlic on it you want to. But if you don't like garlic, then you won't like the flavor. And you won't enjoy the steak. If you want a marinade to penatrate the meat, I would suggest you poke holes into the steak so it can get down further than the 1/16 of an inch. Have you ever seen the smoke ring on a piece of BBQ? Well your marinade is not going to even go that deep. Also, how well done do you like your steak cooked? Some swear almost raw, and others well done to look like leather. The longer you cook the seak, the more you will lose the flavor of the marinade through evaporation off the surface. 

As you can see, there is no simple answer without additional information.


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## tasty food (Apr 30, 2012)

Huh?  I gave the recipe I wanted to use.  I'm gonna start with something like that (wont add water).  I'm not entirely picky about the flavor, I just want it to be seasoned and taste flavorful.

Since i'm on a budget i usually get cheaper cuts of steak (Not the absolute cheapest, I'll sacfrice a few more dollars).  A website I found suggested the best steaks for marinating - flank steak, sirloin, skirt, flat iron, round, and hanger.  I know how to look for steaks...make sure there's marbling, lines of fat, light red color, look for choice over select grade, etc.  

Oh yeah I didn't mention that im gonna poke holes in the steak.  I don't eat a lot of steak, but I do know that I don't want it rare.  So medium-rare is where i'm gonna start at. 

also need to know this, would marinating the steak with onions and tomatoes be a good idea, have any of you done this?


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## Andy M. (Apr 30, 2012)

Onion in a marinade would help but I don't think tomato would add much.


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 30, 2012)

*Steak At The Wineries Of:  Chile, Argentina & Uruguay*

 Good Evening,

Thanks for the interesting thread.

In Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, social life centers around EL ASADO, a type of cookout. 
This is a colloquial expression, as ASAR the Spanish verb, means to roast ... 


At these wineries, The Chileños are "purists" where beef is concerned.

The Chileños prepare as follows:

coarse sea salt
black pepper freshly ground
a 2 Inch thick, 1.5 pound slab of fresh steak 

*** Preheat gas oven grill or charcoal grill over moderate heat, both sides for rare: 7 to 8 minutes per side and 10 mins. per side for medium rare. 

The Argentinians and Uruguayans on the other hand, marinate their steaks in Chimicharri Marinade for only 2 to 3 hours:

For 2 cups;

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves minced
2 cups minced cilantro
1 red jalapeño finely chopped or dry red chili pepper sprinkled
1 cup minced parsley
1/3 cup minced fresh oregano herb
3/4 Cups Evoo 

& They sprinkle with Kosher Salt after marinading, for grilling with.

The steaks I have had in these 3 countries were delectable. 

Have a nice evening,  
Margi Cintrano.


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## CharlieD (Apr 30, 2012)

I am with "The Chileños " all the way. That sounds like my kind of steak and my kind of way to do it. Thanks Margi.


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 30, 2012)

@ CharlieD.,

Charlie, I had no doubt ... I have to say, that the Chileños have some very fine beef and their wine industry has grown up quite a bit too ... and improved considerably. 

I too, like a rare steak seared on flame and just a touch of large sea salt flakes or kosher salt & freshly ground pepper ... 

And a great glass of red crianza oak aged wine to sip with it ! 

Have nice evening. 
Margi.


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## GLC (Apr 30, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I understand that Andy. What I'm not sure of is whether a steak benefits from dry brining. I read the other topics. I'm squarely in the camp of 'undecided.'
> 
> What are we trying to change here? The flavor? The tenderness? What?



I often omit it for steaks that will be grilled. That kind of heat drives the water off as quickly as it appears. Mostly, I do it with beef I intend to braise or otherwise intend to brown first. The salt and night in the refrigerator is almost entirely to draw some water out of the meat near the cut edges. So I cut it up first. The goal is to allow it to brown as well as possible without it sweating out enough water to spoil the browning. I am undecided as to whether it actually causes the meat to retain moisture, but the salt does seem to go somewhere, and since the water that's pulled out evaporates, I assume the salt makes it inside. At least some of it. And that tends to hold the water in. So it's kind of a flavor thing, because the good brown crust is an important flavor. 

Otherwise, I don't marinate much. I do use rubs, sometimes including liquids that I rub in and leave for a few minutes or leave on to evaporate over night, but I don't think that qualifies as a marinade.


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## roadfix (Apr 30, 2012)

I use marinade or use lots of rub and let that work in on cheap steaks.  On good cuts of steaks, S & P are all I like to use.


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## lyndalou (Apr 30, 2012)

Lots of salt and pepper(depending on surface size) Sear really well then cook to desired doneness (sp?) over medium heat.jOh, and I wipe it dry with a paper towel and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for an hour or so before cooking.


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## powerplantop (Apr 30, 2012)

Margi Cintrano said:


> Good Evening,
> 
> Thanks for the interesting thread.
> 
> ...



At my friend Tomás house we would eat it right off the grill. No plates just cut off a slice and eat. We did use glasses for the Vino Chileno.


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## tasty food (May 1, 2012)

(this is slightly off topic but still on the marinade)

I'm gonna get some steaks today or day after, but i did cook some short ribs last night, wasnt that good.  The seasoning was too strong and salty.  I wanted it done medium rare but since the cuts are really thick, I'd have to overcook the outer layer, so the inside was too raw.  

Also read a few things that short ribs should be marinated for a long time and cooked longer.  I presume thats if you dont cut them in half lengthwise.  So that's what I'm gonna do today (if they thaw in time).  Cut them in half lengthwise, make the marinate with less spices/sauces, leave it in the fridge for an hour or so, then i'll see if they cook right and give me the foodgasms that I want my homecooked beef to have.

I'm gonna google short ribs more today to see if I find something useful.


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## powerplantop (May 1, 2012)

This is basically what I do to my steaks. 

Steak Recipe: Turning Cheap "Choice" Steak into Gucci "Prime" Steak | Steamy Kitchen Recipes


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## Addie (May 1, 2012)

tasty food said:


> (this is slightly off topic but still on the marinade)
> 
> I'm gonna get some steaks today or day after, but i did cook some short ribs last night, wasnt that good. The seasoning was too strong and salty. I wanted it done medium rare but since the cuts are really thick, I'd have to overcook the outer layer, so the inside was too raw.
> 
> ...


 

Short ribs ae meant for braising. They have plenty of flavor and retain it even though they are cooked in liquid.


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## tasty food (May 3, 2012)

alrite i just ate the best steak i ever made! marinated it for 30 min, cooked it for about 10 minutes, and it gave me the foodgasms that i always wanted from my own home cooked meat.  didnt even use any sauce after i cooked it, thats how good it was.  thx for the help yall, i added a nice weapon in my recipe arsenal


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