Chuck steaks are affordable and easy to find in your local grocery store. They are a decent cut and offer plenty of potential for good recipes. Since they’re tougher than prime cuts, anyone who wishes to fix them needs a good marinated chuck steak recipe. Fortunately, you have plenty of options. Here are seven ingredients used in Seymour, WI when preparing the best marinades for chuck steak:
- Red wine vinegar: Adding vinegar to your marinade helps meat fibers break up and become more tender. It also adds flavor. Red wine vinegar is less harsh than its white vinegar counterpart, and a good match for red meat. Just as red wine pairs well with steak dinners, red wine vinegar is an excellent steak marinade base. Most recipes call for about ½ to a full cup.
- Balsamic vinegar: For a richer flavor, try balsamic vinegar as a substitute for red wine vinegar. It offers the same fiber-breaking properties, but with an Italian flair. If you use balsamic vinegar, stay away from other tart ingredients like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, as they will overpower the flavor. Instead, pair it with sweet ingredients in moderation, like brown sugar.
- Worcestershire sauce: This smoky sauce works well with most steak cuts, but particularly chuck. It pairs well with red wine vinegar, soy sauce and other tart flavors.
- Lemon juice: Unless you add a lot of it, lemon juice will not affect the flavor much. It breaks up fibers further to produce an incredibly tender steak. Two tablespoons of lemon juice are enough to boost the marinade’s tenderizing powers and help other ingredients penetrate further. Lemon juice is also useful for any recipe requiring shredded meat. Its acidic properties prove essential for creating an excellent texture for dishes like pulled pork.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce is a favorite in marinades for its acidity and tangy flavor. It is not limited to Asian-themed dishes—use it in red wine vinegar-based marinades to add dimensions to your cooking, or mix it with ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sriracha sauce for a new and unique interpretation of the typical steak dinner.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar is a primary ingredient in barbecue sauce, so it also works well in steak marinades. It cuts down on tartness and acidity to make the marinade more palatable. You do not need much sugar—one tablespoon is often enough to balance flavors.
- Garlic: Garlic works well in marinades. The acidity in marinades that softens meat fibers also disintegrate garlic and helps it penetrate your steak. Chopped garlic sold in jars works well in marinades, as does fresh garlic you chop yourself, so do not stress about how you prepare it. If you want more onion flavor, use onion powder rather than fresh onions. Fresh onion scent is overwhelming, and onions do not break down in marinades as efficiently.
Hotel Seymour Supperclub prepares steak dinners with the best marinades available for chuck steak. We are open for dining in, takeout and curbside pickup in Seymour, WI. Call us today to experience our own marinated chuck steak recipe.