Grilled College Marinated Steaks

Bryan and I graduated for LONG time ago! So, how does “college” fit into place? Bryan developed this steak marinade recipe when he was in college. It is very easy and perfect for any meat-eating college students. Even if you are no longer in college, you will still love how simple and tasty these steaks are.

Before Bryan headed to college, he learned a quick beef marinade recipe from his mom. However, when you are in college, you don’t always have that special seasoning with you. Therefore, Bryan changed up the recipe with ingredients he had on hand.

There are 4 ingredients in the marinade. How likely does these ingredients exist in college students’ kitchen?

1. Ketchup? – No doubt! Everyone eats French fries, right?
2. Beer? – YUP! Of course! I don’t think I have to get into details about this! 😉
3. Soy sauce? – It really depends on the students. Bryan and I both had soy sauce when we were in college.
4. Garlic? – This one is not likely. But it doesn’t take much to get some!

This a recipe that everyone can do it. The marinade gave great flavors to the steaks. There is a little sweetness from the beer and ketchup, and the saltness from the soy sauce. We did a taste test with this marinated steak and a regular steak (seasoned with salt and pepper). The marinated steak was an easy winner! We both decided this college marinated steak is much more flavorful than the regular one.

When picking the meat, you can use anything you like. We really like rib eye cap. It is said to be the tastiest cut on a cow. It is buttery and tender with an intense beef flavor. If you haven’t tried it before, check it out. Costco carries them. Of course, Bryan didn’t use rib eye cap back in the days. He mostly used skirt steak or flank steak. He didn’t have a grill either. He just used a grill pan and cooked over the stove.

For the topping, it is a Salvadoran salsa called “chimol”. It has diced onions, lemon juice, oregano, water and a  little bit of salt. It usually contains tomatoes as well, but everyone do it slightly different. My in-laws like to eat this salsa with steaks. It is citrusy, which is great to refresh the palate. It brings a nice crunch to the dish too. It is an excellent addition to the steaks.

Hope you enjoy this fusion recipe! Have a wonderful weekend!

Grilled College Marinated Steaks

2 – 3 servings

Ingredients:

–  1¾ pounds rib eye cap, rib eye, skirt or flank steaks

Marinade:

–  ½ cup, plus 1½ tablespoons ketchup

–  ½ cup beer (light flavored beer, like Corona)

–  ¼ cup soy sauce

–  1 garlic clove (minced)

Chimol (Salvadoran salsa) (optional):

–  ½ small white onion

–  ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

–  ¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons water

–  1½ teaspoons dry oregano

–  salt

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix well. Add the steaka and marinate for 20 – 30 minutes (depends on the size of your meat) at room temperature.
2. If you are making chimol, combine all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Stir and mix. Season with salt. Set aside and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
4. Grill the steaks until charred on both sides and cooked to medium-rare doneness, about 4 – 6 minutes per side. Remove from the grill or grill pan and let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.
5. When ready to serve, slice the steaks and serve with chimol if using.

Tips:

1. You can use any cut of steaks you want.
2. If using skirt or flank steaks, cut against the grain when serving.
3. Leftover meat can be used for tacos the next day. Keep them in airtight container in the fridge. Recipe is here.