Marinades tenderize and add flavor to meat before grilling or pan-searing. Wet marinades work best on tougher cuts of meat, while dry marinades consist of spices and seasonings. Wet marinades should not be reused due to raw meat bacteria.
A steak marinade is a type of treatment used to tenderize and add rich flavor to meat before grilling or pan-searing. Marinades can come as sauces or as dry rubs, and the methods of preparing steak with each are slightly different. Marinated steak works best with specific cuts of meat. A good variety of choices for steak marinade tastes can be found in grocery store aisles and recipe books.
Tougher cuts of meat are often better suited for a steak marinade; these include skirt and flank steak as well as sirloin and round roast varieties. These types of steak also tend to contain smaller amounts of fat, allowing the marinade to penetrate the meat more thoroughly. Experienced grill masters usually advise against marinating higher-quality meats such as rib eye, because doing so can actually toughen the texture of the steak too much.
Wet marinades for steak often come in flavors like teriyaki, lemongrass, barbecue brisket, and bourbon mustard. Before dipping a thick cut of steak into one of these marinades, some cooks recommend cutting the meat into thinner sections to allow the wet marinade to penetrate evenly into the steak. A marinated steak left too thick can sometimes result in a sour taste on the outside edge of the meat and too little flavor towards the center. The best results from using a wet marinade generally come from leaving steak cuts soaked overnight in a covered container kept in the refrigerator.
Cooks who prefer to use wet marinade for basting should set some of the marinade aside so it doesn’t come into contact with raw meat. After removing a steak from a wet marinade, the same remaining marinade should not be reused as a sauce without first boiling it thoroughly for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Due to the presence of raw meat bacteria in steak marinade, many cooks choose to dispose of used marinade rather than reuse it.
Using a dry marinated steak is another option for flavoring the meat. Dry marinade recipes typically consist of spices and seasonings such as ground peppercorns, garlic salt, paprika, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and sometimes brown sugar for more flavor balance. Experienced cooks recommend first allowing the thawed steak to come to room temperature before applying the dry marinade; this generally leads to a more evenly cooked meat. The steak is then usually coated in a small amount of cooking oil which allows the dry marinade to flavor the meat without the added salts pulling moisture from the steak.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
