How to marinate the perfect steak

Greetings, my dear gourmets. Do you want to arrange an unforgettable romantic dinner for your chosen one? Then cook the beef steak. You can fry it in a frying pan or on the grill. In both the first and second cases it will turn out amazingly delicious. The main thing here is to choose the right marinade for beef steak. Let's figure out which one is better.

Before cooking meat, you need to let it come to room temperature. This means that 1-1.5 hours before frying, you need to remove it from the package and leave it on the table. If the meat doesn't come to room temperature, you'll just ruin the dish. The steak will be seared on the outside and cold in the middle.

If the beef is frozen, I advise you to defrost it in the refrigerator first. This is a long process that can take a day depending on the size of the piece. In principle, you can defrost meat in cold water. Only in this case the beef cannot be removed from the packaging. And the result will not be the same. Don’t even try to defrost it in the microwave - you’ll ruin everything and get a tasteless result.

In my experience, if the meat is good, you can even marinate it. All you need is salt + pepper. If desired, drizzle the pieces with olive oil or Worcestershire sauce before frying.

I also recommend chopping the peppercorns yourself before cooking. This way it will reveal its aroma more strongly. All you need is a mortar or rolling pin. There is no need to make it completely dusty; 1 mm pieces of pepper are ideal. They should stay on the steak. I recommend salting and peppering the meat a minute before frying. Simply coat both sides of the beef with spices and start cooking. But sauces will add flavor to the steaks. I have selected 3 options, which I will talk about a little later.

You need to cook the steak on a very hot surface - on a grill pan, on a wire rack or a good thick-walled frying pan. This will seal the meat juices inside the piece. And the meat will not stick to the surface on which you cook. Fry the piece until the bottom changes its color by a third. It's easier to navigate by looking at the end of the steak. Then turn the piece over to the other side. And wait again. Each side usually takes 2-3 minutes.

Additional secrets

Remember, my friends, poking steak with a fork is prohibited. This cutlery has sharp teeth. And before you know it, you’ll pierce a piece and all the meat juice will flow out. Use tongs or a spatula to turn the piece over.

If you are cooking a thick steak (more than 3 cm), you can bring it to full readiness in 2 ways. Or, after frying, place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Or fry the ends of the piece. Here you can’t do without tongs, holding the meat at the end.

After cooking the steak, you need to give it time to “rest”. Place the piece on a plate and leave it for 15 minutes. This time is enough for the meat juice to be evenly distributed inside the steak. I recommend placing a piece of butter on top of the steak. Believe me, it will be very tasty.

I recommend serving the cooked beef with sauce. Choose an option to suit your taste - béarnaise, lingonberry or Spanish with tomato paste. Want to make these sauces yourself? Then be sure to watch this video

Below I offer you three original recipes for marinating beef. Be sure to write down in the comments which option you think is the best.

Lime Marinated Steak Dinner Recipe

This dish is very easy to prepare. You can cook the steak on the grill or in a frying pan. For it you will need:

1 piece of steak (ribeye);
1 lime;
1 tbsp. oyster sauce (can be replaced with 1 tbsp thick balsamic sauce or 1 tsp sesame oil);
a couple of garlic cloves;
6 cherry tomatoes + 1 larger tomato;
1 shallot;
a few tbsp. olive oil;
salt + pepper;
herbs – oregano, thyme and rosemary;
5 potatoes.

Squeeze the juice from the exotic fruit and mix it with the sauce. We cut the garlic into slices and add it to the marinade. Mix all the ingredients well and roll the meat into them. Keep each side for 3 minutes and then turn over (do 3 circles).

While the beef is soaking in the spices, we switch to the tomatoes. We cut each cherry into 4 parts. And the larger tomato (you can take black or yellow) - into 8 parts. Then chop the onion - preferably cut it into small cubes.

In a heatproof dish, mix the onions and tomatoes. Add a couple of tbsp here. olive oil. Salt the mixture, season and season with herbs.

Then we put these two dishes into the oven, heated to 205 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. If cooking on the grill, wrap the tomatoes and potatoes in foil.

Next we move on to cooking the beef. We take the meat out of the marinade, remove the pieces of garlic from it and wipe it with a dry towel. Heat up the grill pan and place a piece on it. Fry each side for 3-4 minutes. I indicate this time for a ribeye steak 3 cm thick. If you have a thinner or thicker piece, adjust the time yourself. Serve beef with baked tomatoes and potatoes.

Beef steak (oven)

Ingredients:

Beef
Olive oil
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper

Cooking method:

Wine marinade

We will cook on the grill. Red wine creates a delicate and unique bouquet. And juniper will add piquancy to the meat.

You will need the following ingredients:

6 pcs. beef tenderloin medallions, 3-5 cm high;
6 slices of fatty bacon;
culinary twine;
2 onions;
2 stalks of celery;
3 medium carrots;
3 bay leaves;
1 tsp thyme;
2 cloves of garlic;
a handful of juniper berries (if available)
400 ml red wine;
4 tbsp olive oil;
3 tsp peppercorns.

The first thing to do is wrap the medallions in bacon. Secure it to the meat with twine, wrapping it around it and tying it in a knot. Do this with each piece.

Next, prepare the marinade. Finely chop the onion, carrots, and celery. Combine chopped vegetables and all other ingredients in a large bowl. Pour wine and oil over everything. Place the medallions in a mold and fill them with marinade. Leave the meat in the refrigerator overnight.

Then remove the steaks from the refrigerator, drain the marinade, and pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Brush the pieces on both sides with olive oil. Season and add salt on top.

Grease a clean, heated grill with vegetable oil and place the steaks on it. If the pieces are large, cook for 6 minutes on each side. Focus on their color. After a couple of minutes, turn the pieces. This will create a pattern on the meat in the form of a lattice from hot rods. Cook until golden brown.

When the meat is browned on one side, turn it over to the other. To lightly brown the bacon you wrapped the meat in, sear the sides of the steaks. Simply turn them over using tongs on all sides.

Afterwards, remove the medallions from the heat and remove the twine. Brush each piece with butter. After cooking a steak in wine, your friends will elevate you to the rank of grill chef