Beef Steak Marinade & Zesty Steak Sauce

I was looking for a steak marinade recently and came across this recipe on All Recipes which called itself "The Best Steak Marinade". 

I was skeptical at this bold claim, but then, I got intrigued by one of the reviews:  "I wept with joy at the first bite. Do you know how hard it is to eat and cry at the same time? Yet, I pressed on. After that, I wept with sorrow, because there would be a last bite."

I thought this reviewer might be a little melodramatic but in any case, it's worth trying this recipe out.

My verdict?  This recipe is indeed very good, even though I did not weep - sorry, I'm just not prone to weeping while eating.  I've had a few good steak in my lifetime so I'm not sure this is "The Best" but it is certainly "One of the Best" I've had.

Enjoy the last few days of summer and try this recipe at your next BBQ!

A few other tips: 

1. You don't need to break the bank to cook steak.  Read this very funny article by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen on "How to turn Cheap Choice Steak into Gucci Prime Steaks" ... as she put it, "Do you know the joy of buying Choice and eating Prime? It’s like buying a Hyundai and getting a free mail-in rebate for a BMW upgrade!!!"
2. Marinade overnight.  I guarantee you that all the goodness of the marinade will be infused into the beef and you might very well have someone weeping at your next BBQ!
3. Pair with a zesty home-made steak sauce.  No bottled A1 sauce, please. I've included a recipe below that my friend, David, shared with me a long time ago. It's a sure winner.

"One of the Best" Steak Marinade - From this recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: If you have rosemary or other herbs, add some as well. If not, don't sweat it. It'll be fine.

Instructions:   

Mix all ingredients. Makes 1 cup. 

Note: I doubled the recipe to marinade 4 lbs of beef (London Broil) and it was just the right amount.

Zesty Steak Sauce 

Ingredients:

• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped up
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. Add diced tomatoes and cilantro into a food processor and process/pulse it for a few minutes.
2. Add generous amounts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pulse further to mix well.
3. Finally, add salt (around 1/2-1 tsp) and pepper to taste.

Beef Stroganoff

From Russia with love. A quick and easy 30-minute meal that is hearty and satisfying.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beef filet, sliced thinly (I used round-eye steak)
• 1/3 cup onions
• 1/2 cup cremini mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Parsley (dill would work too)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 6 Tbsp of butter
• Worchester sauce
• Corn starch
• Salt and pepper
• Egg noodles

 Instructions: 

1. Slice beef into thin strips
2. Add corn starch, 2 tablespoons of worcester sauce, salt and pepper to beef and marinate for a few hours
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in frying pan at high heat, then turn to medium hea and brown beef slices. Set aside.
4. Add another 3 tablespoon of butter and fry the brown onions. Add beef broth to dissolve the caramelized burnt bits on the pan. 
5. Add mushrooms, tomato paste and parsley, and turn up the heat to cook the mixture.
6. After the mushrooms and onions are soft, turn down the heat before adding the sour cream. Important: Keep heat low, do not allow mixture to boil or simmer to ensure the sour cream does not curdle.
7. Add beef to the sour cream and mushroom sauce and mix well.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve hot over egg noodles, with parsley as garnishing.

Serves 4.

Adapted from this recipe from Simply Recipes.