Balsamic Pepper Steak

It's almost the weekend!  In fact it's almost Spring Break.  Whether you have kids or not this should have some meaning for you.  It either means that you're going on vacation, trying to come up with something for the kids to do or avoiding all the places where kids will be.  We have no real plans.  I think we'll try to do a couple of day trips or plan some fun activities but nothing major.  I know several families heading off to Disney World.  Good luck with that, that is one place I would NOT want to be on spring break!

My husband and I are still attempting to improve the way we eat, and that includes doing as many whole foods as we can.  This marinade is fantastic, even if you have no idea what I mean when I say "whole food".  It's OK, this marinade is a winner. 

We didn't plan far enough in advance to marinate for hours, we marinated for like 1 hour.  Needless to say it was totally delish so I know that if I plan ahead next time and let it marinate overnight it will be even better.  We loved it.  Plenty of flavor.  I left it sort of rustic, more than the original recipe describes but we liked it that way and I would probably do it again that way.  Make it your own, you have to eat it after all!

Balsamic Pepper Steak

Recipe from The Saffron Girl

Ingredients

• 4-5 cloves garlic cloves
• 2 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp ground rosemary
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 steaks of your choice

Cooking Directions

1. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic. I don't own a mortar and pestle so I did this whole process by hand.
2. Add the peppercorns and crack.
3. Add the rosemary and salt and grind together. I chopped the rosemary and left some in fairly good sized pieces.
4. Add the olive oil and vinegar and mix well.
5. Pour over the meat (I used steak tips), use the steak of your choice. Do this process in a resealable bag or a container with a tight fitting lid.
6. Marinate overnight or for 4-5 hours.
7. Grill to desired doneness.

Homemade Jerky Marinade

My husband is in airports all the time, and in case you haven't been in an airport lately you should know that everything is very expensive.  If you want a salad you're looking at about $9 or more. Healthy food in an airport is always expensive.  Needless to say we try to think of things that he can take with him from home.  That way we know what's in it and we know that it's healthy.

We made some jerky a little while ago and now we're just on a quest to try out different marinades.  I have to tell you, out of the two this one is my favorite.  You can make it as spicy as you want but I liked the tanginess of the hot sauce better then the red pepper flakes.  This way is more of an all over spice and not just spice when you eat a flake.  It's a little sweet and very flavorful.  I'm looking forward to trying more but this one will be done again.  It's just a good all around flavor that I enjoyed immensely.

If you're into making your own jerky you should definitely give this one a try!

Homemade Jerky Marinade
Recipe from AllRecipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Blend all the ingredients together.
2. To use: Place 1 lb of sliced lean meat in a zip lock bag or leak proof container and pour the marinade over the top.
3. Turn the meat and sauce every couple of hours to coat well. Let marinade for at least 24-48 hours.
4. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard any remaining marinade.
5. Follow manufacturers instructions to dehydrate the meat.  It took me about 6 hours.  Keep checking it as it will depend on how thick the meat is.