While marinating your steak isn’t required, it does improve the flavor of most cuts of meat. The marinade gives the meat taste, while the acid in the lemon juice tenderizes it. Steaks should be marinated for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. I don’t advocate marinating for any longer than that since the acidity of the marinade will begin to degrade the proteins and turn the outer layer where the marinade penetrates mushy.
This steak marinade takes only 5 minutes to prepare and contains olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, lemon, herbs, and spices. It may be used for grilled, broiled, or sauteed marinated steak and adds a tonne of flavor to any cut of meat. I recommend marinating your steak for at least one hour, but if you have time, marinating it for at least 6-8 hours is ideal. If you like, you can keep the steak in the marinade for up to 24 hours.
How Long Should Steak Be Cooked?
A 3-ounce dish of steak is roughly the same size as the palm of your hand or a deck of playing cards. In general, one 1-pound steak fillet gives around two servings, however, steak sizes can vary. For the dishes in this post, I used a 1-pound amount of flank steak, which is a harder cut of beef. You can simply double the recipes supplied for 2+ pounds of steak for households wishing to marinade enough meat.
Although the cooking time varies slightly depending on the size and thickness of the steak, there are some general principles to follow when determining how long to cook steak. The most important thing to remember while cooking steak is to make sure it reaches a safe internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
What Is The Best Way To Marinate A Steak?
Fortunately, the finest way to marinate a steak is also the simplest, requiring only the mixing of a few ingredients to form a marinade and allowing the steak to sit in it for a few minutes.
Here are the steps for marinating a steak in more detail
- Put the steak in an airtight container or a reusable storage bag to keep it fresh.
- Toss in the marinade ingredients.
- Remove all of the air from the bag and close it tightly.
- To coat the steak, press the marinade around it.
- Allow marinating in the refrigerator.
Steak Marination Tips
While the recipe is straightforward, there are a few brief suggestions I’d like to provide that will help you marinade and cook your steak like an expert. Here are some pointers on how to properly marinade steak for the finest results.
- Use an airtight container, a sealable plastic bag, or a large bowl with plastic wrap. You want to save as much of the fluids and flavors as possible. When I’m marinating less than a pound of steak, I use a 1-quart bag as a general rule, and it works perfectly.
- Refrigerate your meal instead of leaving it out at room temperature to marinate. This will assist to protect your food from foodborne infections.
- To avoid hazardous contamination of raw meat, keep marinated meat separate from other meals in your fridge.
- In your marinade, use a combination of acid, oil, and spices.
- When it’s time to cook the meat, toss out any leftover marinade, and don’t use it as a sauce unless you’ve cooked it first because it’ll include raw steak juices.
- To get the most flavor out of your steak, marinate it the night before you want to cook it.
- If you don’t have time to cook your marinated steak within two days, you can freeze it in the marinade for later use. One of the advantages of utilizing freezer-safe bags is that you can just put them into the freezer for later use. Then thaw the meat and cook it when it’s time to dine.
- Use roughly 1/2 cup of marinade for every 2 pounds of beef in most marinades.
- After taking the steak from the marinade, blot it dry using paper towels on all sides to minimize steaming and promote browning.
How Long Should A Steak Be Marinated?
When it comes to marinating steak, you may use whatever marinade and flavor combination you desire with any style of steak, whether it’s a shoulder, skirt, or flank steak. The only difference is the amount of time spent marinating.
Ideally, a steak should not be marinated for more than 24 hours, especially if it is a sensitive cut. Any longer than that and the muscle fibers may break down, resulting in a mushy feel.
Some cuts of steak, such as skirt steak, are naturally tough and should be marinated for longer periods of time to tenderize. I recommend making the marinade the night before and letting the steak tenderize and absorb all of the flavors overnight for harder pieces of beef. Then all you have to do is grab and cook.
- If you already have a tender cut of beef, such as a New York strip or fillet mignon, only 15 minutes to 2 hours of marinating time is required to add flavor.
- Tenderize Beef for Harsher Cuts: If you wish to tenderize your beef for tougher cuts, such as skirt steak or flank steak, soak it in the marinade for at least 6 hours but no more than 24 hours.
The 7 Best Steak Marinades For Perfectly Cooked Steak
You’ll have plenty of taste and diversity with these 7 Best Steak Marinades to spice up your next steak dinner. Learn how to marinate steak, cook flawless steak, and freeze marinated steak, as well as my seven favorite steak marinade recipes.
Dinner doesn’t get much better than steak, do you agree. While you may believe that cooking juicy, tender, tasty steak takes time and effort, I’m here to inform you that it doesn’t have to be. You only need to do a little preparing to ensure that your steak comes out tender and juicy every time. And it’s really only a smidgeon.
Sure, you can cook a fine steak without marinating it first, but marinating meat in a mixture of herbs, spices, oils, vinegar, and other delights in the fridge can make a world of difference.
After a lot of testing with various flavor combinations and countless steak meals.
What Is The Best Way To Freeze Marinated Steak?
If you don’t have time to cook your marinated steak within 24 hours, you can freeze it in the marinade for later use. That’s why, when marinating steak, I prefer to use freezer-safe reusable bags, which can be tossed into the freezer and used later. Simply defrost the steak and cook it when it’s time to consume it. Wrap your steaks in porous plastic, wrapped in aluminum foil, freezer paper, or plastic bags designed for frozen storage after adding the steak marinade. Prevent freezer burn by properly covering your marinated steaks.
Conclusion
A digital thermometer is the best way to tell when your steak is done. You can use a thermometer to check whether the steak is done to your liking by inserting it into the thickest section of the flesh. I prefer medium-rare steaks, but I don’t recommend cooking your meat above 150 degrees F because it will become tough and dry. Remember that steaks should rest for at least 5 minutes before being cut into, so remove them from the heat a few degrees before you achieve your desired temperature, as they will continue to cook while resting.
