Lemon & Balsamic Vinegar Marinated Steak

This week I thought I’d share my favourite way to cook steaks. Despite the fact that I do marinate the steaks, you don’t have to do any prep work the day before or even a few hours before. You can leave the steak marinating while you prepare the rest of your meal, it only needs about 20-30 minutes.

Since this recipe describes the process per-steak, it’ll yield as many steaks as you make As for ingredients, the amounts will vary depending on the size and number of steaks you do, but you’ll need the following:

The steaks of your choice (I love Strip Loin)

A few cloves of Garlic

Lemon Juice

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive & Vegetable Oil

Fresh or Dried Rosemary

Freshly ground Black Pepper & Salt

Start by laying the steaks out on a plate, and grinding the salt and the pepper onto the top side of the steaks. I like to be generous with the pepper, and not to grind it too finely. I like my steak peppery though, so just season to your own tastes. Then peel some garlic and use a garlic press (or the back of a big knife) to crush the garlic and spread the crushed garlic over the top of the steaks. I use about a clove and half on average per steak, but again, feel free to use more or less to taste.

Next Add the Rosemary to the top of the steak. I tend to be quite generous with it because I adore the taste and smell of Rosemary, but again, use an amount that matches your tastes.

Next we need to drizzle the wet ingredients over the top of the steaks. I start with the olive oil, with which I’m quite generous, then I add the lemon juice, with which I’m a little less generous, and finally I add the Balsamic Vinegar, with which I’m not at all generous. You should have liquid running down the side of the steaks onto the plate when you’re done. If you’re using fresh lemons, I use about a quarter a lemon per side of each steak.

Turn the steaks over and repeat all the above steps. Then leave the steaks on the plate in the oil etc and turn them over every 5 minutes or so for about 20-30 minutes while you work on what ever else you’ll be serving with the steaks.

When it comes to cooking the steaks, really pre-heat the pan, that thing should be as hot as your hob can go! Add a little vegetable oil, then add the steaks and pour some or all of the left over oil etc on the plate over the top of the steaks. Once the steaks have been sealed on the bottom, turn them over and do the same on the other side. Then turn down the heat and keep cooking your steaks till they’re the way you like them. I love steak to be well done, so I cook mine fore about 10 minutes. If you have a griddle pan this will work even better, but it works just fine in a flat-bottomed pan. It should also work on the BBQ, but I’ve never put that to the test since I don’t have one, and we don’t have the weather for BBQ anyway!

Finally, for a deluxe option you can add some red wine to the pan after you’ve sealed the steak on both sides. I only do this on very rare occasions as a real treat – it makes things a lot richer.