Grilled marinated flank steak

1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 T soy sauce
2 T honey
2 med shallots, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried chopped rosemary (or 2 tsp fresh)
1 1/2 tso dry mustard
1.25 lb flank steak
salt to taste.

In a 13x9 glass baking dish mix first 6 ingredients then place steak on top and press meat lightly to coat with marinade.  Turn, and press again.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs, turning occasionally.

Chile-Lime Marinade

Great on pork, beef or chicken!

1.5 lb. pork tenderloin (or chicken, or beef)
1/4 c. lime juice
chili powder to coat (about 2 Tbsp)
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

Trim all fat from your protein of choice. Place it in a shallow dish, and sprinkle generously with chile powder. Drizzle olive oil over the meat, and then pour lime juice over it. Coat evenly on both sides, and then rub with crushed garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and allow to marinate while the grill heats up. Grill about 10 minutes on each side for well-done. Enjoy!

asian beef

You can grill or broil this beef and it makes great skewers!

The amounts for the marinade are estimates since I kept putting things together until the aroma was just right.

Steak cut into cubes; I used top sirloin
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp cooking sherry
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp Hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp garlic chili paste
6 leaves of chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all of the marinade ingredients, adjusting any amounts to smell.
Pour over the chopped steak and marinate for several hours.
When ready to cook, put a few pieces of steak onto each skewer. I also added some red onion to some skewers and pineapple chunks to the others.
Grill for 10 minutes or so, until done.

Lemon & Herb Marinade

2 lbs. steak
1/2 cup Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce
2 T EVOO
2 T lemon juice
2 T chopped fresh basil, oregano, cilantro or parsely

Simply add 1/2 cup Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce, EVOO, lemon juice and fresh herbs to 2 lbs. of steak. Marinate for 30 minutes or more and grill or broil steak to perfection!

How to make marinades from scratch....

Sure, you can buy bottled marinade but why not DIY! Marinade is nothing more than a seasoned, acidic liquid that lends flavor and tenderizes the texture of meat. At it’s most basic, a marinade is made of two parts oil to one part acid. 2:1. The rest is really up to you.

This template makes enough marinade for about two pounds of meat.

Oil: 3/4 cupOil transfers the flavors of the marinade seasoning to the meat. I use canola because it’s less expensive, or cheap olive oil. Feel free to experiment with other light, neutral oils you have lying around the kitchen, like grape seed, safflower and sunflower. Heavy, flavorful oils like corn, peanut or sesame can overwhelm the flavor of a marinade. A teeny splash of sesame oil will do in a marinade with Asian flavors.

Acid: 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoonsVinegar: red wine, white wine, apple cider, rice wine, champagne, tarragon, hot pepperCitrus juice: orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, yuzuFruit or vegetable juice: unsweetened cranberry, pineapple, mango, tomato, papaya, Yogurt or buttermilk, Wine, Mustard

When balanced with oil, acid in a marinade breaks down the proteins in meat, which gives meat a juicy, tender texture. Too much acid will toughen the proteins. Use a single acid, or mix them up—mustard and wine, red wine vinegar and lemon juice. (One caution: Yogurt, papaya, pineapple, ginger and kiwifruit contain enzymes that can turn meat to mush if it’s marinated too long. Use a smaller amount, or cut the marinating time by half.)

Seasoning: 1 teaspoon salt, plus 1 to 3 tablespoons herbs or spicesOil and acid contribute some flavor to a marinade, but they primarily transfer the flavor of the seasonings to the meat. So, this is where you get to start fiddling around with flavors you like. Oregano? Basil? Honey? Tamarind? Herbs de Provence? Citrus zest? Whatever. Sprinkle in a little at a time, taste it and tweak accordingly. The amount you use really depends on the strength of the flavor and other seasoning in the marinade.

Marinade Time: 2 to 3 hours

Here’s how to whip up a lemon-pepper marinade using the template:
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Pour all of the ingredients in a large (at least 12 oz) jar with a tight-fitting lid. Screw the lid. Shake vigorously. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Voila! Marinade.