During this time of social distancing and staying home so often, I find myself getting easily bored with my meals. So, I have been looking through old recipes that I haven’t made in a while to spice up the weekly rotation. Just the other day I made an old favourite from my university days – balsamic beef marinade.
This easy, affordable, and quick recipe is a great one for warmer weather – or even just when you’re wishing it was here. It’s tasty, satisfying, and a different take on your typical steak. And, in my experience, most picky eaters will like it too. It’s also a great one to make if you’re looking to make a good impression for a date night in or maybe for the mother-in-law, because it’s easy to pull off but still feels a little fancy
Here’s what you’ll need.
Steak (cut into large cubes)
The cut is up to you, however you won’t need anything too fancy as the balsamic vinegar in the marinade will tenderize the meat. In fact, I prefer a cut that is a little leaner for this one. That lovely steak fat, that’s usually so delicious, isn’t quite right for this recipe.
Marinade Ingredients:
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp of Oregano
Salt & Pepper to season
Cut the steaks into large cubes, think kebab sized. Combine the marinade ingredients (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper & oregano) in a mid-sized container large enough to hold all of your beef. Once it is mixed together, add in the cubed steak, and thoroughly coat them in the marinade. Pop the container in the fridge and let it marinate for a couple hours. The general rule with marinade is the longer you leave it, the more pronounced the flavor, and in this case the more tender the beef.
From here, there are 2 choices for cooking.
1. You can sautée the beef in a non-stick frying pan. I like to add in some red pepper and onion for this one.
Or
2. You can broil or grill the beef on kebabs.
I cook it both ways depending on how much time I have. I sometimes find it time consuming to put everything on the kebabs.
Basically, either way, remove the beef from the marinade and cook until the desired level of pinkness (depending on your preference).
I like to serve this with sautéed red pepper & onion, and some steamed rice. If you choose to cook it on kebabs, you can add the red pepper and onion with the beef, and serve it with a cold summer salad. It also goes very well with a fresh baguette.
And that’s it!
Simple. Easy. Delicious.
I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know your thoughts!
Write soon,
Hannah B. L.
HBLogs 