Marinate Steak In This Jarred Ingredient For A Tender, Delicious Cut
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A thick, juicy, perfectly cooked steak is one of our all-time favorite foods. We like to eat it unadorned to savor all that beefy, creamy goodness or with a smear of sauce to complement the meat's flavor. Sometimes we'll enjoy it cowboy style, which is also amazing with salmon, while other times we'll drag a forkful of steak through a slick of mustard for a pop of heat. But that punchy condiment can do even more for your meat as a marinade than it will sitting on the side of your plate.
Many home cooks reach for Maggi seasoning to marinade their steak, overlooking the equally vibrant yellow mustard also in their pantry. We think that's a mistake. Yellow mustard is a hidden gem of a condiment, packing enough acetic acid via vinegar to tenderize even the chunkiest steak. Its combination of turmeric and mustard seeds infuses the meat with earthy undertones, while those finely ground seeds find their way into the cut's nooks and crannies as the steak's fibers relax.
Just as with deli meats, mellow mustard cuts through much of the fat in beef, and, depending on variety, there's enough heat to tantalize our tastebuds rather than leave our eyes watering. How long you marinade your steak for depends on your chosen cut. Yellow mustard pairs well with everything from tri-tip and flank to skirt and T-bone, and you can leave the meat anywhere from two to 24 hours, though going for longer risks a mushy texture.
There's a world of flavor waiting to be discovered with the variety of mustards
As much as we love straightforward yellow mustard, there are so many other flavor options to play around with. Dijon mustard is one of the most popular among home cooks, thanks to the sharp bite it delivers amid that dreamy, creamy texture — but it's far from the only direction we can go when marinating steak. Hot honey gives many dishes like baked beans a swicy boost, and that blend of punchy sweetness with mustard can elevate your steak to new heights. If heat's really your thing, slather your beef in one of the many hot mustards out there, made with everything from jalapeños to ghost peppers.
If you want to personalize your mustard marinade even further, you can grind up your own mustard seeds or use a mustard powder (the highly-rated and iconic Colman's brand has been delicious for over two centuries) and mix that up with other ingredients for flavor combos guaranteed to cut the mustard. Balsamic vinegar is a classic pairing with yellow and Dijon mustard for a deeply swavory steak marinade, while fresh garlic or robust herbs like tarragon will also hold their own.
Because mustards of all kinds work so well with a variety of steak cuts, you can serve your amped-up meat in myriad ways. We love it thinly sliced and served in a taco, but we've also slipped it into a sandwich and devoured it before leaving the kitchen. For those with more patience, mustard-marinated steak makes for a sophisticated and tasty dinner, best served with fluffy mashed potatoes and a side of green beans.