Sizzlin' Steak Recipes

Those who love eating red meat would without doubt enjoy a sizzling steak dinner. Impress family and guests with delicious steak marinades that are simply unforgettable.

Cooking Techniques
There are many ways of preparing steak, including grilling, broiling, pan-frying and stir-frying. Grilling not only adds distinct flavor to the steak, but it is also the healthiest method of preparing steak, because fat can drip away during cooking. Broiling steaks is a simple, low fat cooking method and a great alternative for those with no access to a grill. Like broiling, pan-broiling is also easy and low in fat, and ideal for thinner steaks. Pan-searing steaks is quick, simple and requires little or no oil. A fast and almost effortless way of cooking tender cut meats are pan-frying or stir-frying.

Preparing the Steak
Cooking the perfect steak can be a bit challenging, as it requires the right amount of heat, steak thickness and timing. In order to prepare a truly delicious steak, try marinating it prior to cooking. Marinades are seasoned liquid mixtures that have three main functions: maximize tenderness, add flavor, and prevent steaks from drying out during cooking. There is nothing like a good marinade to bring out the best flavor of the steak. It is so simple, and so tasty. All there is to do is to pour the marinade into a bowl, place the steaks in the marinade, flip them over, let them soak in the refrigerator for some time and then cook them.  

How Long to Marinade
Marinading is best suited for tougher and low fat cuts like sirloin, flank, skirt, round and hanger. Don’t spoil more expensive, higher quality steaks such as filet mignon, porterhouse or rib-eye by marinating them. When it comes to steak marinades, there is no clear answer to the question of how long the meat needs to be marinated. Some prefer marinating the steak a few hours while others recommend overnight. As a general rule, small or tender cuts require shorter marinating times (generally 2 to 4 hours) for additional flavor, while larger or less tender cuts need to be marinated between 4 and 6 hours, or overnight to add flavor as well as thoroughly tenderize the meat.

Marinade Varieties
There are endless types of steak marinade recipes to choose from: teriyaki, barbeque, southwestern, red wine, olive oil, or something spicy. A typical marinade recipe consists of an acidic ingredient, some kind of oil and seasonings. Acids such as lemon juice, vinegar, wine, or yogurt help tenderize meat by unraveling its proteins, thus softening the surface, which in turn enables flavors to be soaked up. Oil keeps the meat from drying out. Seasonings such as garlic, onion and ginger, as well as fresh herbs and spices are ideal to add flavor.

Steak marinades have caught on in such popularity that they are nowadays sold ready to buy in grocery stores for mass consumption. Yet, it goes without saying that the best steaks are prepared with a steak marinade that is made at home from scratch.