Coca-Cola Marinated Beef Tips

Beef is what's for dinner a lot around here. We just like it--a good steak, some beef tips, or a pot roast. All good things. And even better when I can take a break from the cooking and let Dave grill it to perfection outside. We usually come together and choose a tasty marinade then I let him doing the heavy lifting while preparing some simple sides. It works out pretty well, actually. And this marinade is sweet, but not overly so, with just a hint of spice and a lot of flavor. Perfect for beef, chicken or poultry, this is one simple way to add a tone of tastiness to an otherwise ho-hum piece of grilled meat. Plus, we don't usually drink "full octane" Coke (Coke Zero is usually around our fridge), so this was a great way to use up some leftovers from a party. Win-win!

Caribbean-Style Marinated Pork Kebabs

As I've mentioned, Dave and I get a CSA share from a local farm, Springdell Farms. Not only do they have excellent produce and wonderful staff, but they also raise some mighty tasty meat.  Recently, we picked up some pork kebab meat which we knew immediately would end up on the grill. Dave picked out an amazing marinade that I'll look forward to using again. I mean, you can't go wrong if your meat is going to take a bath in some dark rum and spices, right? The pork turned out slightly sweeter than I expected, but in a good way. It was well flavored and definitely delicious--as it should be.

Mojito Marinade

Sneaking alcohol into my food is never a bad thing.  So of course this marinade is perfect.  We let some chicken sit in this happy flavor bath over night and then Dave grilled it up to juicy yummy for slicing and stuffing in fajitas with sauteed peppers and onions.  The mint and rum pairs really well with the pepper and spice, making this a perfect marinade for fajitas.  We're looking forward to trying this with some flank steaks.  Yummy.

Tequila Lime Marinated Chicken

I love grill season.  Well, for us grill season is year round or unless there's so much snow on the deck we can't find the grill. But there is something awesome about grilled meat in the summer.  Plus I feel like we use more marinades and made more interesting food on the grill in the summer than in the winter.  In the winter it's just throw some steaks on the grill and make sure they're cooked so you can get back in the house.  But this Tequila Lime Marinated Chicken is awesome.  Lots of flavor going on in that marinade and it all blends beautifully while it's cooked on the grill.  And to top it off, once you put the meat on the grill, you can cook the reserved marinade to make an awesome sauce like nothing else you've had before.  The tequila shines, but is still cut by the lime and the slight heat from the chili powder. It's quite a combination and we used the sauce as a vinaigrette for our salads.

For our wedding shower, my Mom bought Dave a couple of cookbooks. This recipe comes from Marinades and Rubs: 40 Tantalizing Recipes to Stimulate your Palette and Add Sparkle to Your Meals from the Love Food Collection.  It's easy and accessible, with ingredients you likely have on hand.  I whipped this up before work one morning and let it sit all day.  When I came home, Dave had the chicken grilled perfectly, boiled down the leftover marinade and together we built these killer salads.  We will certainly use this again--maybe this winter when we're in need of a little summer sunshine.

Carne Asada Marinade

It's grill season and we like meat in this house.  We're not insane about it, but we do like the results of throwing a nice piece of beef on the grill.  We generally eat a lot of poultry and pork, so when we do go beef, we like to make it a little extra special.  And this marinade is just that.  It's got loads of flavor from the citrus and a nice blend of seasoning that doesn't make it hot, but offers a nice blend of spices.  Dave and I particularly liked the citrus flavors that came through, and Madaline and Ernie both attested to the delicious flavors.  Grilled to medium this makes a delicious dinner and would be perfect to serve for guests.  Quick lesson: carne asada literally means grilled meat, but refers to a marinated beef cut.  Additionally, just as the word barbeque can mean a method of cooking or an event, carne asada is used the same way in Mexico and the American Southwest.

In April when I was going through the various posts on my Group B Secret Recipe Club reveal day, I saw La Phemme Phoodie had made this recipe (originally from This Mama Cooks!) and I immediately pinned it.  I knew Dave would love it since we've taken to marinating meets pretty regularly.  La Phemme also provided two methods of cooking--grilled or slow cooked.  I certainly will try the slow cooked method at some point.  I can imagine a chunk of beef marinating in these flavors and becoming so tender it just shreds apart--perfect for burritos.  For the first try, we opted to marinate some steak tips for 10 hours before grilling (you can marinate for up to 48 hours, but I wouldn't do any less than 6 hours).  This recipe is easy, accessible and will have you firing up your grill all summer long.