One benefit of beef -- especially with a cut of steak -- is that it goes well with a wide range of flavors. One night you can got south of the border with a spicy pepper marinade, while the next you can take a trip to Asia with an Asian-inspired marinade. One cut of steak that does well with most marinades is the beef tenderloin, which comes from the loin of a cow, or the area just below the rib cage.
Marinade Safety
Before starting your marinade, keep a few tips in mind. Your marinade should be combined in a non-reactive container, such as glass, ceramic, plastic or stoneware. Containers made from aluminum, cast iron or galvanized metals should be avoided. Plastic bags with a reliable seal work well when marinating. Just place the bag in a bowl in case the seal does not full close.
When marinating your steak, always keep the meat covered and in the refrigerator until not long before you cook the steak to help prevent bacteria from contaminating your meat. Ten to 15 minutes should be enough time to allow your meat to return to room temperature before cooking.
If you plan on basting the steak during the cooking process, prepare a second batch of marinade. Never use the marinade the raw meat was in to baste your steak.
Asian-Inspired
Asian-inspired marinades use flavors like soy sauce and ginger. For an easy marinade, combine 4 tbsp. ginger juice, 2 tbsp. Chinese rice wine, 5 tbsp. dark soy sauce, 2 tsp. white sugar and 1 tsp. finely minced garlic. Place two steaks in a sealable plastic bag, and pour the marinade over the top. Massage the steaks with the marinade, and seal the bag. Allow the steaks to marinate in the fridge for two to four hours before cooking.
Smoky Beer Marinade
Marinating your steak in beer before placing it on the grill can reduce the cancer-causing heterocyclic aromatic amines, or HCAs, which can develop on meat as the steak reacts with heat, according to a 2008 study reported in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry." For a smoky beer marinade, combine in a non-reactive bowl a bottle of your favorite dark beer, 3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp. honey, 3 tbsp. salt, 1 tbsp. hot sauce, 3 tbsp. peanut oil, 1 tsp. smoked paprika, and 1 tsp. black pepper. Marinate for two hours before grilling.
Spicy Mexican Marinade
For a more spicy kick, hot peppers like jalapeños or serranos can be thrown into just about any marinade to impart the heat of capsaicin into the meat. For a Mexican-inspired marinade combine 4 diced jalapenos -- remove the seeds before chopping -- the juice of one lime, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp. chipotle seasoning, 1/4 cup toasted cumin seeds, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Blend 2 cups of olive oil and a full bunch of cilantro in your blender of food processor. Add the blended mix to your marinade bowl, and stir the ingredients until combined. Place your meat into the marinade, and let it marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
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