Steak Marinade

If you are planning on entertaining, you probably already know that steak is always a big hit. Grilling out is always fun, but cooking a large cut of meat in the oven is a great way to feed a crowd without having you slaving away while your guests are there. Either way, you are going to want to have a great steak marinade.

You can marinate steak for as little as a few hours, but if you want the best possible results it is a good idea to plan ahead. A steak that has been marinated overnight is going to be juicy and tender. Additionally, the flavor will be amazing. You don't even have to use that much oil, especially if you are planning on cooking in the oven. (The exception to this would be if you are making flank steak recipes. Flank steak is a tougher cut of meat and does best when it is marinated overnight in a moist steak marinade.)

Here is my favorite steak seasoning:

½ cup freshly ground black pepper
3 tsp beef bouillon
¾ tsp cornstarch
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
¾ tsp paprika
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh garlic

Combine all ingredients. If you are cooking tenderloin in the oven, brush the meat with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and then cover with the steak seasoning. If you are preparing individual steaks, combine the seasoning with ¼ cup of olive oil and ¼ cup of soy sauce. Place your steaks in a large zip lock bag and pour the steak marinade over them.

Of course there are many other options for steak marinades. If you are making cut steaks like rib eye, one thing I like to do is combine red wine, garlic, olive oil, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. This is especially great if you are going to top your steak with a blue cheese butter, because the wine, rosemary and blue cheese will really complement one another.

If you are short on time, you may just want to purchase a prepared steak marinade. You can always spice it up by adding in some garlic or cayenne pepper. There are also some premium marinades that you can purchase at specialty shops that can be just as good as something that you would make yourself.