EDIBLE OBJECTIVE
Sweet or Savory 4th of July Grilled Steak
Thu. June 30, 2011 12:00 AM
by Brad Mercil
The 4th of July is coming up and everyone is planning their celebrations. Since people will be doing something on the grill, I have some steak marinades that would be perfect for your party.
The way that these marinades came about is kind of a story in itself. I was watching "Being John Daly" on the Golf Channel one night last year. John and his buddies were sitting around his trailer after a meal and were complementing him on the steaks he had just made. One of them asked "What did you do to the steaks?" John replied "I just marinated them in soy sauce and Crown Royal." That sounded like a really good combination so I started tinkering and eventually came up with the sweet marinade. This also got me thinking that a savory marinade for steak would work as well. Again I started tinkering and not too long after had that one down.
The perfect steak for these marinades should be about one to one and a half pounds and one inch thick. Now let's talk about cuts of steak. There are three grades of steak in the United States, Prime, Choice and Select; Prime being the best Select at the bottom. Prime grade beef makes up about 2% of the beef available in the US; this is either exported or sold to fine restaurants. You can find prime beef at very high end butcher shops, but be prepared to pay top dollar for these cuts. The grades we're most likely to see at the grocery stores are Choice or Select.
The two cuts I would recommend are Rib-Eye steak or Sirloin. These cuts won't be as tender as say a cut from the Tenderloin, but they will be more flavorful due to Marbling. Marbling is small streaks of fat that run through the steak which makes it more flavorful. So remember to carefully examine the marbling when choosing steaks; the more marbling the more flavor but the less tender. This means you have to do something of a balancing act: tender vs. taste.
Look for steaks that have thin streaks of fat running throughout. Thick lines of fat mean more connective tissue and will produce a tougher steak. Also, the color of the steak should be a nice bright red with thin lines of fat that are creamy white. Try to find steaks that are graded Choice if possible be sure to read the label carefully. A lot of thought goes into the brand names, marketing and promotions so you want to make sure that you're getting the right grade and cut of steak for your guests.
So let's get started.....
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Sweet or Savory Grilled Steak Marinade
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Sweet Grilled Steak Marinade
**Ingredients**
2 one to one and one half pound steaks
1 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup Crown Royal candaian whisky
1 tblsp honey
2 tblsp finely minced onion
1 tblsp granulated garlic
**If you want to drizzle some marinade on during grilling or would like to have some for a dipping sauce make some extra and reserve this before beginning the marinade process.
Savory Grilled Steak Marinade
**Ingredients**
2 one to one and one half pound steaks
1 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
2 tblsp finely minced onion
1 tblsp granulated garlic
**If you want to drizzle some marinade on during grilling or would like to have some for a dipping sauce make some extra and reserve this before beginning the marinade process.
**Preparation**
Combine all ingredients for steak marinade in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Place steaks in a large sealable bag and pour marinade over the steaks. Try to squeeze as much air out as possible before sealing. Gently massage the marinade into the steaks being careful not to puncture the bag.
Lay steaks flat in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 to 24 hours. Be sure to turn the steaks over a few times.
Prepare your grill so that it is smoking hot before grilling the steaks. Remove steaks from bag and discard marinade. Since it contains raw juices from the steak it should not be used.
Grill the steaks to your liking, then remove your steaks to a platter and cover them with aluminum foil. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes then serve.
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