Meat! I love a good steak, and when I prepare it at home, it is usually with this marinade. It’s simple and forgiving. The only catch is, I try to remember to put the steak in the marinade overnight, for the flavors just kill with that much time. But since I’m me, I don’t always remember to start the steak the day before I plan to make it. So sometimes the meat is only in the marinade for a few hours. Not quite the same, but still pretty danged good. Here’s what you’ll need…
Olive Oil, Worcestershire Sauce, Vinegar (Balsamic this go-round), Dried Parsley Flakes, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Salt, Pepper & a dash of Cayenne (not pictured).
Mix everything together. (That was easy, right?)
Place the steak in a plastic bag. Well, this is what I do, as my peace with the environment includes my failures as well as successes. So if you have no failures (such as plastic bags), place the steak in a non-reactive flat dish. A glass pie plate would be perfect.
Pour the prepared marinade over the steak, being sure to scrape all the seasonings into the bag. Seal bag. Move the steak around to ensure it is covered with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator overnight. If using the day of, place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Occasionally, turn the steak over so that all sides are sitting in the marinade. This part isn’t hard to remember. Just turn it each time you poke your head in the fridge. Reaching in there for milk? Turn the steak. And if you do forget, don’t fret. It’s okay. Really.
Remove the marinated steak from the refrigerator 1/2 hour before you cook it. I’ll be honest here – I usually take it out about an hour before I throw it on the grill. But that’s just me. If you’re terrified of having your meat sit on the counter that long, 1/2 hour of room temp time will be just fine.
Prepare as you wish! Then serve the mutha! This marinade is bendable, as in you can take out or put in any spices you want. Some will balk at my using Garlic Powder instead of actual Garlic. Do what you want on that front. I love powders for marinades and rubs. And though I used Balsamic Vinegar this time, I also happen to love Red Wine Vinegar in the marinade. Heck, I’ve even added some Honey and it was grand. This is a good basic marinade. Play with it and make it your own. Your steak will thank you.
Here’s the printable…
- 1 T. Olive Oil
- 1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 T. Vinegar (Balsamic, Red Wine or any other you prefer)
- 1/8 t. Onion Powder
- 1/8 t. Garlic Powder
- 1 T. Dried Parsley Flakes
- 1/4 t. Salt
- 1/4 t. Ground Black Pepper
- Dash of Cayenne Pepper
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Place steak in a sealable plastic bag (or in a flat, non-reactive dish).
- Pour prepared marinade over meat, being sure to scrape all seasonings into plastic bag.
- Seal bag, then refrigerate overnight. If preparing the day of use, refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Remove from fridge 1/2 to 1 hour before cooking.
- Prepare meat as desired. Serve.
This marinade is enough for 1 steak. In this instance, the steak weighed .87 lbs and Mister and I split it. For more meat, increase the marinade quantities and proceed as written.