This weekend we hosted two of our close friends for dinner, both of whom are foodies in their own right.  The pressure, of course, to maintain my reputation as a great cook (I talk a big game!) was on.  Visions of Osso Buco, bacon and pear soda bread (!), and flourless chocolate cake danced through my brain.  Thankfully, experience has taught me that if I try to outdo myself with some elaborate three course spread, the result is usually one of two unfavorable situations: either I end up spending 90% of the time in the kitchen rather than with my friends, or one or more dishes flops, overcooks or reaches the table cold.   These are not the outcomes upon which a good reputation is made!  Inevitably, too, the end of the night finds my husband and me faced with heaps of dirty dishes and flour-soaked counter tops.

As a consequence, I am slowly developing a repertoire of recipes that are my “old faithfuls” – they often have steps that can be completed well ahead of guest arrival, the cooking time is minimal or at least unattended, and I have made them all so often that I know that I can pull them off within a set time frame and to great effect.

Saturday night I turned to an old, old faithful – my dad’s fantastic steak marinade.   This is one of those concoctions whose composition can actually vary slightly depending on what the pantry holds, but the driving concept is a mélange of sweet, salty and savory flavors which transform an inexpensive cut of meat into a delectable and simple main course for a crowd.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. London broil steak, preferably thick cut
1 cup red wine, preferably some that has been sitting out for several days
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
6-10 shakes Outerbridges Sherry Pepper sauce (what would a secret family recipe be without at least one obscure ingredient!?)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 inch of ginger root, peeled and sliced

As with most marinade recipes, the instructions are fairly straightforward – mix together in a bag, insert steak, wait 3 hours, grill and eat.   Nevertheless, I’m going to walk you through it – the process is easy, the ingredients each deserve a little more elaboration.

First, the steak.  This, in particular, requires further discussion.  It must be said that London broil is not an actual cut of meat – it is a form of preparation, and not the preparation I’m about to describe.

My steak was actually chuck shoulder steak.  Sometimes flank steak or top round is labeled “London broil.”  My thought?  It doesn’t matter.  This marinade performs miracles with beef.  That’s all I’m sayin…

So, take your ill-defined piece of meat and a sharp knife and make cross-hatch marks in the steak.  These should be VERY shallow cuts in the surface of the steak, on both sides.  Why do I do that?  I assume it has something to do with the penetration of the marinade flavor into the meat, but the real reason is that my dad does it that way.  Put the steak(s) into a gallon-size sealable plastic bag.

Now, for the marinade: when it comes to the wine, my dad insists that you use leftover red wine.  This has something to do with the vinegary-ness (new technical term) of wine that has been sitting in contact with oxygen over a couple of days.

Vinegar has the effect of tenderizing meat.  Hence, my dad is convinced that vinegary-tasting wine will have same effect.  Hey, the proof is in the pudding – make this recipe and try and tell me it isn’t true.

To the red wine, add the soy and the Teriyaki, as well as the Worcestershire and a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.

Sidebar: the next ingredient is a secret weapon.  Not to be used lightly – it has a very strong flavor – it adds that extra something to sauces, dips and, of course, steak marinades.  It is called Outerbridges Sherry Pepper Sauce, and It…Is…Awesome.  Spicy, vinegary goodness.  It hails from Bermuda originally, and can be purchased there or, if you prefer…, online.  Go forth and purchase at will.  Don’t forget some of their Swashbuckling Steak Sauce – you’ll thank me later.  Right now, though, add some shakes of the Sherry Pepper Sauce into the marinade.

Drop into the bag your sliced onions, garlic and ginger.  Mmm…

Now, your marinade is assembled.  Seal the bag and shake it to distribute the solids throughout the liquid and make sure the steak gets a good coating.  Stick it in the fridge and let it rest for 3-10 hours.  This weekend, 6 was perfect.  If you remember, flip the steak a couple times during that span.

Preheat your grill and cook the steak to your liking, 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare.  As a warning: if your liking is more cooked than medium, this is not your cut of meat.  An over-cooked London broil is rather tough, chewy and gross.  VERY IMPORTANT: when your meat is cooked, and laid out across the cutting board, you must slice the steak properly to get the most out of this meat.  Angle a carving knife at about a 60 degree angle to the cutting board.

Slice down on an angle, against the grain of the meat (perpendicular to the long side of the steak).  Make thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick.  Fan out meat on the plate and serve!

The inevitable leftovers are great for steak sandwiches or a great salad for tomorrow – far more economical than a “5 dollar foot-long” sub sandwich.  Happy eating.