This marinade has long been our family’s secret weapon for steak night. It’s earned plenty of approval around the table, and now we’re sharing the recipe with the Beverly Creek community.
Steak marinade ingredients
- 120 ml good-quality soy sauce
- 60 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 45 ml olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar (or honey)
- 5 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- Zest of ½ lemon
How to marinate a steak
- Mix: Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Bag: Place your steak in a zip-top plastic bag or a shallow dish.
- Pour: Pour the marinade over the steak so it is fully covered.
- Chill: Seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (and up to 8 hours for best flavor and texture).
- Cook: Remove the steak from the marinade, shake off any excess liquid, and discard the used marinade before grilling or pan-searing.
How to cook a steak
To cook a tender and juicy flank steak, gently pat the meat dry then grill or pan-sear it over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice thin against the grain.
Need to stock up on flank steak?
Choose from grain-fed beef flank steak, or grass-fed beef flank steak raised ethically on our Ontario farm.
What to do with leftover marinade
Once the marinade has touched raw meat, don’t use it straight from the bag as a sauce or for basting. It may contain harmful bacteria.
You can still turn it into a sauce. Pour the used marinade into a saucepan, bring it to a full rolling boil, and continue boiling for several minutes. Then let it reduce until slightly thickened and serve it with your cooked steak. For an easy shortcut, set aside a portion of the marinade before adding the raw meat. That portion can be refrigerated and used as a sauce without boiling.
Health Canada also advises never using leftover marinade on cooked food unless it has been boiled first.
Best beef cuts to marinade
This marinade works beautifully with other flavourful cuts, too.
Skirt steak has a similar lean texture to flank steak and benefits from the same approach: marinate it well, cook it quickly over high heat, and slice it across the grain.
Short ribs have more fat and connective tissue, making them a good choice for a longer marinade and hotter cooking. The seasoning works its way into the meat while the fat helps keep each bite juicy.
You can also use the marinade as a flavourful base for burgers. The soy sauce and Worcestershire add savoury depth to the beef without making the recipe complicated.
For a special grilling meal, try it with ribeye. Ribeye is already tender and well-marbled, so it doesn’t need the marinade for tenderising, but the extra savoury flavour pairs beautifully with the heat of the grill.
Shop locally raised all-natural beef or grass-fed beef from our family-run farm, and pick-up next business day in Milgrove, just 15 minutes from Hamilton.