Marinate Steak In This Bottled Beverage For A More Tender Cut

A juicy steak and a generous pour of bourbon would rank high on many diners' lists of winning meals, but what about taking that bourbon and using it to marinate your beef? The idea makes more sense than you might initially think. To start off, remember that we are talking specifically about bourbon, which is different from whiskey by means of categorization. All bourbon is a kind of whiskey, but not all whiskey meets the criteria to be called bourbon. For our purposes, we want good, old-fashioned American-made spirits. Nothing too expensive, because you will just be pouring it down the drain when you're done. For starters, we've seen Jim Beam put to work, while some have crafted a bourbon-marinated steak utilizing Midnight Cask.

The reason bourbon is such a good soak for your beef is twofold. For one thing, just like coffee, another perfect yet unconventional marinade medium, bourbon is acidic. The tough fibers in cheaper cuts of meat won't stand a chance in the face of your liquor, which has a pH value between 3.65 and 4.04 for all bottles aged at least a year (per This Blog is Neat). Oak aging, along with added flavor compounds in the bourbon, all contribute acidity. 

Again, we don't recommend wasting a top-shelf bottle on your beefy goals, as a marinade is a great use for that inexpensive bottle you got on sale and perhaps don't enjoy that much for sipping purposes. No matter what bourbon you choose, your steaks will be more tender and juicy. All you have to do is balance the smoky, malt-heavy flavor of the spirit with other marinade ingredients.

The formula for a good steak marinade is almost always the same, no matter what particulars you bring to the table. You typically need an acid, an oil, a sweetener, some salt, and aromatics. A source of heat is optional, along with any other specific flavors you want to cultivate. In this case, you already have the acid — your bourbon! The rest of the line items are really up to you, but we naturally have some recommendations.

Use any neutral oil that fits your budget and pantry. Salt is an absolute must, but don't let that be your only salty element. We've discussed how a Worcestershire sauce marinade can take your steak to the next level, and we appreciate the value that this sauce, which is hard to pronounce but easy to mix harmoniously, brings to the equation. Soy sauce or fish sauce will bring the sodium, but Worcestershire is an undeniably great flavor match for beef. Another non-negotiable, we think, is brown sugar. Some grillers will turn to honey for their source of sugar, the agent that caramelizes steaks on the heat, but we think the molasses kiss of brown sugar really accentuates the notes in bourbon. Consider maple syrup a wildcard because of its corresponding smokiness.

Of course, you can't forget some garlic or minced shallot in your marinade. We also like to toss in a generous helping of black pepper (a coarse grind is particularly lovely here) and whatever spices suit the dinner you're crafting. Going in an Asian direction? Consider five spice and ginger. BBQ flavors, on the other hand, demand paprika and cayenne.