3-Ingredient Steak Marinade Recipe

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A properly cooked steak is a thing to behold, but there is so much more work that goes into making steak great than just a few minutes of frying. If you are looking for a way to reliably turn out restaurant-quality steaks for you and your guests, then this three-ingredient marinade from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye will help you up your game.

Although this recipe consists of only a few ingredients, they add heaps of flavor to the final dish. A simple combination of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and garlic cloves enhances the rich, earthy, and deeply savory flavors of the beef. And the acidic elements work to make every bite mouthwateringly tender. It couldn't be easier to whip up this three-ingredient marinade, and once you give it a go, we guarantee you will see the added value in marinating your steaks before they hit the heat.

To begin this three-ingredient steak marinade recipe, gather the ingredients first. You will need Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic cloves, along with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

You will also want steak on hand to use the marinade on it. This recipe makes enough for two pieces of steak. We recommend reaching for cuts like hanger, flank, skirt, or ribeye with this marinade, though it will pair well with any good-quality cut of steak.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper.

Whisk the ingredients together.

When ready to use, add two steaks to the marinade, coating them entirely. Cover with food wrap and allow to marinate for desired time.

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Once you break into the world of marinating meat, you soon learn that there are near-endless marinade options. When it comes to steak, don't be afraid to be bold with the flavors. Steak is a rich and typically fatty meat (depending somewhat on the particular cut), meaning that it can be paired with stronger flavors without being overpowered. Herbs such as rosemary, sage, and thyme pair really well with the other elements in this marinade and will infuse the steak with herbal aromatics.

Dijon mustard or whole grain mustard are also great, as their acidic elements help tenderize meat fibers while adding a savory tang. Lemon juice and balsamic vinegar are also popular choices for a steak marinade for similar reasons. Their bright acidity tenderizes and flavors the beef. Red wine is a classic pairing with steak and can be added to your marinade for its acidic qualities and robust flavor. A spoonful or two of brown sugar can be used to balance out the acidic, salty, and savory flavors in the marinade. Finally, you have a whole world of spices available to you, with smoked paprika and onion powder being favored choices that mesh with the other ingredients in this steak marinade.

While steak is utterly delicious by itself, marinating the meat serves two purposes: to tenderize and add additional flavor. To keep your steak top-notch, use the right container for marinating the meat. Certain containers can react with the marinade and impart their flavors into the mix, so stick with airtight containers made of glass, non-reactive food-grade plastic, or ziplock bags designed for marinating.

Several factors influence how long you should marinate your steak. Firstly, different cuts of meat will require different levels of tenderization. Cuts that contain more muscle fibers and less marbling, such as flank or skirt, benefit from several hours of marinating to break down the muscle fibers. Other cuts, such as ribeye, are naturally more tender due to their fat content, so marinating them is primarily to add flavor rather than tenderize, and they only require an hour or two of it. 

Secondly, the thickness of the cuts will impact how long the tenderizing takes. A thin-cut steak may only require an hour or two to marinate, but a thick-cut steak may require several hours to fully absorb the acids from the marinade, allowing it to tenderize. Bear in mind, though, that leaving your steak in the marinade for too long can result in an unpleasantly mushy texture, so don't marinate for longer than 24 hours.

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