October 21, 2010

ginger and garlic steak marinade

This is a super easy marinade to make for steak, especially London Broil or Flank Steak. It makes the meat tender and so flavorful. Let's face it, London Broil needs all the help it can get.



It starts with ground ginger and brown sugar. The brown sugar gives a touch of sweetness and cuts some acidity from the balsamic vinegar.



Garlic! Michael told me he thinks this looks like a butt. Mature.



I used 2 cloves of garlic for this. It gets added to the marinade along with balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and water. And that's it! There are only 6 ingredients in this recipe.




Whisk everything together, and put it off to the side to prepare the steak.



I used about a 2 pound London Broil for this. It tends to be a tougher cut of meat, but it is pretty inexpensive and can be so delicious. One way to help tenderize it, is to pierce the crap out of it with a fork. Just go to town on it. Both sides. (Audra, that's what she said.)

See all the holes in the meat? Make sure you especially get the areas with marbled fat.



Put the steak in 2 gallon baggies, double bagging it will prevent leaks in your fridge. Then pour the marinade over it, seal it shut and move the liquid around to coat the steak.



Put the happy package safely in your refrigerator. I made this last night to cook for dinner tonight, but you don't have to marinade it for that long. As long as it sits and soaks up the juices for 4 - 6 hours, you will be good.

When you are ready to cook it, just remove the steak and discard the marinade. It's done its job. Tell it "good work" and put it in it's final resting place.

There are a couple ways to cook London Broil. My favorite way is to grill it on an outdoor grill. It will take about 6 minutes on each side, for a nice medium rare. You could also put it on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Put it under your oven broiler for 6 minutes on each side, longer obviously if you don't like it to be too rare.

Here is the very important part. You all know to let a freshly grilled steak rest. Once it comes off the heat, put it on a cutting board and let it sit there for 10 to 15 minutes. This lets the juices redistribute into the steak. If you cut into it right away, all those delicious juices will run out onto your cutting board. You don't want that to happen! Then when you're ready to slice it, take a sharp knife and cut it against the grain, diagonally, in thin slices.

At this point, your mouth is probably watering. As I'm typing this, the London Broil I prepared last night as been sitting in that yummy soy sauce and freshly minced garlic all night. I cannot wait to cook it for dinner tonight!

Here's the recipe:

Ginger and Garlic Steak Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup room temperature water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined.

Pierce steak heavily with a fork on both sides. Place in gallon baggie, pour marinade over it, and let the steak sit in the marinade for 4 - 6 hours.


(Note: this marinade is best for at least a 2 pound London Broil or Flank Steak. If your cut of meat is smaller, cut this recipe in half so the flavor is not too overpowering)

8 comments:

  1. My mouth is absolutely watering already- I can't wait for dinner! :) You take awesome pictures, too.

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  2. Jenna, you're amazing sweetie! Love you bunches!

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  3. Oh and this is Janice :)) -- not anonymous!

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  4. Yummmmmm....I get to enjoy this tonight!!! Can't wait!!! Thank you for cooking dinner for me Jenna...it is such a blessing and each and every week you do that for me...I am one blessed Mom! :)

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  5. Sounds good. I haven't made marinade in a long time. I always used flank steak. You are quite a good cook. Michael is going to be one lucky man :)

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  6. BAHHHHHHHHHHH hahahahahahahahahahahaha!

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