From Our Oven to Yours: How to Marinate Meats for Grilling

There is nothing I enjoy more than a well marinated, well cooked piece of meat. Marinating before grilling may seem like a daunting task, but know what kinds of marinades for different types of meat will speed up the process and result in better tasting food.

Beef

Beef done right is a rich with tons of flavor, melting in your mouth – no matter the quality of cut. The best way to achieve this tenderness is the perfect marinade and slow cooking. Beef marinades should add to the natural flavor of the meat, while keeping it moist during grilling.

Try this recipe-

Prep 15 min

• 1/3 cup of soy sauce
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic

Cook to your likes.

Chicken

When it’s good it’s good! When it’s bad it’s as rubbery and dry as gum. Although it is easy to overcook, chicken is a staple in most diets thanks to its nutritional value and excellent taste. You don’t have to worry about dry chicken if you marinade it to perfection.

Try this recipe-

          Prep Time 15 in

• ¹⁄₄ cup cider vinegar
• 3  tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 3  cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1   lime, juiced
• ¹⁄₂  lemon, juiced
• ¹⁄₂ cup brown sugar
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
• 6  tablespoons olive oil
• ground black pepper
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Pork

Just like Chicken this white meat can dry out very quickly when cooked too long. A good marinade will solve this issue and add lots of extra flavor.

Try this recipe-

          Prep time 25 min

• 2 large pork chops
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mesquite-flavored seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Recipe- Chicken Fajitas

Turn an ordinary day into a fiesta with these healthy, delicious chicken fajitas!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Salt
• 2 Tbsp canola, safflower, peanut or grapeseed oil (a high smoke point oil)
• 1 large onion, sliced lengthwise (root to tip) into 1/4-inch strips
• 3 bell peppers of various colors, sliced into 1/4-inch strips

Marinade

• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Extras

• 8-12 flour tortillas
• Salsa
• Sliced avocado
• Sour cream
• Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed lightly with salt and cider vinegar

Directions:

1 Cut thick chicken breasts in half, horizontally: If chicken breasts are more than half a pound, slice horizontally so that each slice is between ½-inch and ¾-inch thickness. (Note: Don’t pound chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer, as this adversely affects the texture of the meat.)

2 Marinate chicken: Mix marinade ingredients together in a glass or plastic container. Add chicken, mix thoroughly, cover and let marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the fridge.

3 Wipe off most marinade, sprinkle chicken with salt: Remove the chicken from the marinade. Wipe off most of the marinade and sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt.

4 Sear chicken on high heat: Heat a large cast iron frying pan on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of canola oil to the pan.

As soon as the oil begins to smoke, place chicken breast pieces in the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, you may have to work in several batches.

Let chicken cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, until you have a good sear. Once seared well on one side, turn pieces over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until well seared on the second side.

5 Stack seared breasts, cover with foil and let rest: Once seared on the second side, remove to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 5 minutes.

Tip: Stack the seared chicken breasts and then cover them in foil. Together they will retain heat better as you cook the peppers and onions.

If you want to test for doneness, cut into one piece with the tip of a sharp knife. It should be just done, if not, you can put it back in the hot pan for a minute or two.

6 Sauté peppers and onions: While the chicken is resting, cook the onions and peppers. Add another tablespoon of oil to the frying pan. Heat on high. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers to the pan.

Use a metal spatula to scrape up some of the browned bits from the chicken and stir to coat the onions and peppers with the oil and brown bits. Spread the onions and peppers in an even layer in the pan. Let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. You want them to sear with some blackening. Stir the vegetables and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

7 Slice the chicken and serve: Slice the chicken across the grain into strips. Serve at once with the peppers and onions, some warm tortillas, and sides of shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, and/or thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed with vinegar and salt.

Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes  Cook Time: 10 minutes  Serves 4

Recipe- Coconut Chicken Green Curry

With the temperature dropping and cold nights ahead of us, I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes, Coconut Curry Chicken. The sweetness from the coconut milk coupled with the robust curry flavors and spicy seasons make it a great meal when you need to warm up.

Prep: 5 minutes

Cooking: 15 – 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 6-8 Skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces. (You can substitute with chicken breast but I believe the thighs hold the flavor better with such a robust curry sauce.)
• 12 oz can of Coconut Milk
• Medium white onion
• 1/2 chopped red pepper
• 1 Sliced Thai eggplant
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• ½ to 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 bushel of minced cilantro
• 3 tablespoons of green curry paste
• 1 table spoon of vegetable oil

Step 1

Bring a large skillet to medium high heat. Add minced garlic and diced chicken thighs. Cook until chicken is browned on the outside. Add chopped white onion, red pepper, and Thai eggplant. Stirring regularly cook until onions have slightly brown ends and are soft.

Step 2

Add in all of the remaining ingredients, mix well and reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. When sauce has reduced and chicken is cooked thoroughly. Remove from heat and serve over white rice or toasted French bread.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

A delicious comfort food favorite- perfect for these cold winter nights!

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup AP flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes

½ cup buttermilk

Filling:

2 Tbsp. butter, divided

1 small onion or leek, diced

1 small russet potato, diced into small cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 celery rib, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. minced thyme

4 oz. mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp. flour

1.5 cups chicken broth, warmed

½ cup milk or cream, at room temperature

1 cup cooked chicken, diced or shredded (chef likes using a mixture of white and dark meat)

1/3 cup peas

1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Pie Crust: Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, or pulse a few times in your food processor. Blend in the butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse with the food processor) until it resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball and pat into a disc. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the filling: Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a deep saute pan. Add the onion, potato, carrot, and celery and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, mushrooms, and thyme, and cook until mushrooms have given up their juices.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. of butter to the pan to melt. Sprinkle in the flour and cook about 1-2 minutes until combined and no longer raw. Slowly stir in the warmed chicken broth, followed by the milk to cream. Continue simmering over medium low, stirring, until thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the chicken and peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Place the baking dishes on a sheet pan, and pour the filling into them.

Roll out your pie dough on a floured surface and cut 4 circles that are about 1/2″ bigger than the tops of the baking dishes you are using. Place each circle over the baking dish and press the sides to adhere. Brush the beaten egg on top of the dough, and then cut a slit into each dough round, for steam to escape.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until pie crust is golden. Makes 4 pies.

Source: Elly Says Opa