Marinades are Magic

If you look at most classic French cookbooks, they will tell you that stocks are the lifeblood of good cooking. I would argue that the right marinade is the true lifeblood of good cooking. There are some cuts of meat (whether buffalo, beef, chicken, or pork) that just come to life with the right marinade. With a tenderloin or a ribeye – why bother? But if I am cooking flank steak, skirt steak, even top sirloin, the right marinade can make a good piece of meat, absolutely delicious. With a good marinade, not only can you enjoy the flavors of the marinade, but it also helps bring out the true flavors of the meat.

When I started experimenting with cooking in college (for most people “cooking” is not the word at that point in the sentence), I remember a breakthrough my senior year when I developed my first marinade. Basically I was in the kitchen and I started adding my favorite flavors to a blender – I thought “I like the taste of ginger, garlic, scallion, soy sauce, etc.” and each one went into the blender. Out came a chunky marinade that did a really nice job of tenderizing the meat and infusing a delicious flavor. That was the birth of a dish I called “Josh’s chicken” that has garnered compliments from spring 1992 at a cookout for a favorite Minnesota band to a family gathering earlier this year.

To this day, I still love playing around with marinades and testing them with different meats – this past weekend I did a twist on my original marinade with Wild Idea Buffalo flank steak. A little olive oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Mirin, brown sugar, and of course the ginger and scallion. Each time it is a little different.

While it is relatively easy to make marinades, there are some days where I do not have the right ingredients, do not want to dirty my kitchen, or just want to save 10-15 minutes (plus the couple hours of marinating time) in putting them together. That is why I am so excited about the new line of ready-to-grill marinated buffalo steaks that we introduced a couple weeks ago.

I have had the pleasure of eating a number of meals at the Cheyenne River Ranch, and enjoying Jill’s outstanding cooking. Eating her food is like eating at a four-star restaurant. Earlier this year, I asked Jill to create her best marinades and we would sell different cuts of the meat in her marinades. These marinade recipes are the result of years of experimenting by Jill to find the right flavors to pair with each cut of meat.  I love this new item, because it is like eating a dinner prepared by Jill at the ranch – right in your own home, or on your back deck. I was amazed the first time I made one of these how easy and delicious it was – I literally lit my grill, went outside with the thawed bag of meat (in marinade), cut it open with a scissors and placed it right on the grill; it could not have been any easier or more delicious.

We introduced this line with 4 delicious flavors (picking a favorite is the only difficult thing):

• Rosemary Dijon Sirloin Steaks
• Balsamic Flat Iron Steaks
• Cilantro Lime Skirt Steaks
• Pineapple Jerk Top Sirloin Kebabs

Order one (or all four) today, and please let us know what you think. We would love your feedback on these. Also, I think Jill has a few more recipes up her sleeve, so look for more great varieties coming soon! 

Here are several serving ideas from Jill for our marinated steaks. With each order, we will send you a recipe for a delicious simple summer meal:

Balsamic Marinated Flat Iron Steak – Perfect for grilled steak salad.

Pineapple Jerk Top Sirloin Kebab Meat – Layer with fruit and sweet onions and serve on confetti rice!

Rosemary Dijon Marinated Sirloin Steaks – Great on the grill. Serve with grilled potatoes and summer squash, for a quick, easy, delicious meal!

Cilantro Lime Skirt Steak – The essence of summer. Tacos, Salads or Fajita’s!