If you’re going to be grilling steaks you will want to be sure to use a good steak marinade to help make sure your steaks are the absolute best they can possibly be. A good steak marinade will help to bring out the steak’s natural flavor as well as enhance it through interaction of the steak marinade ingredients’ interaction with each other. Steak marinade recipes are available in most cookbooks and on several cooking related websites so you’re sure to find a good one if you’re looking.

Working with steak marinade is certainly nothing new, but it has recently seemed to “catch on” in such a way that several companies known for their sauces and condiments have started offering a line of steak marinades sold in grocery stores for mass consumption.

Of course, the best steaks are prepared with the best steak marinades and the best steak marinade is prepared at home from scratch. Ingredients will vary from recipe to recipe, of course, as will the length of time to marinate the steaks.

Many steak marinade recipes will call for spicy or pungent ingredients like garlic and onions. Marinate times will vary from a few hours to overnight, also depending on the steak marinade recipe.

Steak Marinade… With Spirit!

Alcoholic beverages can make a wonderful base for a steak marinade. Most commonly used are beer and wine, although other spirits can be used as well, to varying taste effects. Cooking sherry is another obvious choice, but most steak marinade recipes call for some other, less potent liquid steak marinade base such as steak sauce, soy sauce (very popular in Asian-themed steak marinade recipes), and that nigh unpronounceable favorite, Worcestershire sauce.

When concocting a steak marinade it is important to remember that the goal is to help bring out and enhance the natural flavor of the meat, not to cover it up with other, heavier tastes and flavors. Still, you want to be able to taste the steak marinade as well so typical steak marinade ingredients will include flavorful herbs and vegetables like onion, garlic, and other such robust flavors.

Using the Steak Marinade

Using the steak marinade is simple. Obtain either some large plastic zipper bags or a sealable container and fill it partially with steak marinade. Place the steaks in, close it up and place it in the fridge for (usually) at least eight hours. After that time is up, you’re ready to get grilling!

Soy Steak Marinade

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

Blend soy sauce, Worcestershire and honey. Pour over 4 medium steaks in pan or shallow bowl. Puncture steaks with fork to allow the sauce to penetrate. Marinate steaks up to 30 minutes, turning over every 6 to 8 minutes.