Red Wine Reduction Steak Sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 each yellow onion chopped
  • 1/2 each red onion chopped
  • 2 large challots chopped
  • 2 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 each plumb tomato (roma) chopped
  • 1 lb carrots chopped
  • 3/4 lb fresh mushrooms sliced
  • 14 oz beef broth
  • 1 1/4 cup merlot wine divided – for two steps

Instructions

  • heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat
  • cook and stir the yellow and red onion, shallots, garlic, tomato, carrots, and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and the carrots have softened, 10 to 15 minutes
  • pour in the beef broth and 1 cup of Merlot, and bring to a boil, scraping and dissolving any browned bits of flavor from the bottom of the pan
  • reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are very soft and the pan juices have reduced by half, about 20 minutes
  • strain out and discard the vegetables from the sauce
  • return the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, stir in 1/4 cup of Merlot wine, and reduce heat
  • simmer the sauce until it is reduced to 1/4 of its original volume, stirring occasionally, about 20minutes

London Broil Marinade

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup soy
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon fresh
  • 2 tsp fresh garlic minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 lb london broil

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients until completely combined. Pour marinade into a large zip-top plastic bag. Add London Broil to the bag, squeeze out all of the air, and seal the bag. Toss gently to coat the London Broil with the marinade.
  • Place in refrigerator to marinate for about 4 hours (or up to 2 days), tossing occasionally to redistribute marinade.
  • Remove meat from the marinade, discard the marinade, and pat the meat dry.

  • To GRILL:

    Allow the meat to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Remove meat from marinade and grill the meat for about 4 minutes per side over direct heat, then move to indirect heat until the meat reaches 125-130° F for rare, 135° F for medium-rare, or 145° F for medium. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

  • To BROIL:

    Allow the meat and marinade to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler and the broiler pan to HIGH. Allow to heat for 10 minutes.

    Make sure to use an actual broiler pan, rather than a baking pan. A broiler pan has a rack built in that prevents the rendered fat from becoming a fire hazard. Transfer the meat to the broiler pan and discard the marinade in the bag.

    Broil the steak for 8 to 12 minutes, turning once about halfway through. The specific time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your steak, so use an instant-read thermometer to know when your meat is done. It should be 125-130° F for rare, 135° F for medium-rare, or 145° F for medium. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Notes

  • Marinate the meat for at least 4 hours (preferably longer) to help tenderize the tough cut. It is possible to marinate London broil too long, so I don’t recommend leaving the meat in the marinade for more than 1-2 days. After that point, the acid or enzymes in the marinade can cause the meat’s tissue to break down so much that it becomes mushy.
  • The brown sugar in this marinade helps create a nice sear on the outside of the steak, but it also makes it easier for the meat to burn. As a result, it’s best to grill the steak for about 4 minutes per side over direct heat (to get those nice grill marks), but then move the steak to indirect heat for the rest of the cooking time (to prevent burning).
  • Slice the meat against the grain (across the natural lines that you see running through the meat). This way you cut through the fibers and shorten them, rather than cutting alongside the fibers. This makes it easier to chew the steak, since a lot of the hard work of breaking up the muscle fibers has already been done for you.
  • Don’t have balsamic vinegar? You can substitute with an equal amount of rice vinegar. Alternatively, for every 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, substitute 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar or red wine vinegar plus ½ teaspoon sugar.
  • Add fresh herbs or dried herbs to the marinade, such as thyme, oregano, chives, fresh parsley, basil, or rosemary. An Italian seasoning blend would also work well.
  • Dijon mustard would also be a great addition to the marinade.
  • If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves or fresh ginger, you can substitute with smaller amounts of garlic powder and ground ginger.
  • Instead of brown sugar, sweeten the marinade with maple syrup or honey.
  • Use low sodium soy sauce, if desired.
  • Vegetable oil or canola oil will both work as an equal substitute for the olive oil.
  • Make the marinade spicy by adding crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne.

Dad’s Famous BBQ Rub

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup paprika
  • 3 tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 5 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 tbsp garlic powder
  • 3 tbsp onion powder
  • 6 tbsp salt
  • 2.5 tbsp tablespoons dried oregano
  • (new ingredient – experiment with amount) 3 tbsp brown sugar

Asian Stir Fry Marinade

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp garlic minced
  • 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ginger ground
  • 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tsp canola oil