5 Fabulous Steak Marinades and Toppers

Birthdays in our home are a big deal, and always have been. When I was a little girl, my mom would cook our favorite dinner for our birthdays. Back then it was often her fried chicken, but nowadays I love a good grilled steak.

When I say that birthdays are a big deal, I mean they are an extravaganza. Sometimes we'll celebrate for a whole week with good food, trips to local interesting places, and specially kind treatment for the birthday king/queen, who has to wear the birthday crown. When our girls lived at home, we'd have cupcakes for breakfast before school on the birthday day, too.

So in honor of my birthday week, I'm offering some of our favorite ways to dress up a steak. Which one do you think I'll choose for my birthday dinner?

1. Joe's Grillmaster Blend

2 tbsp Sea salt

2 tbsp Pepper – fresh ground

2 tbsp Paprika

1 tbsp Garlic powder

1 tbsp Onion powder

1 tbsp Thyme - dried

2 tsp Sugar

2 tsp Chives – dried (optional: garlic chives – dried)

1 tsp Celery seed

1 tsp Nutmeg

Blend ingredients. Generously rub on steak, burgers, chops and let stand for at least ½ hour. Grill!

2. Spicy Coffee Rub

This rub from Bon Appetit magazine works especially well if you baste it in butter while searing on a stove, then indirect-heat roasting it in the oven or on the grill.

1 tbsp Aleppo pepper

1 tbsp finely ground coffee beans 

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper 

2 tsp (packed) dark brown sugar 

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Coat 2-2 1/2 pounds of steak with the rub, and let rest for 30 minutes before roasting or grilling. This meat rub can be made ahead and stored until needed.

3. Balsamic Strawberry Marinade

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

1 tbsp chives, snipped

2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 cups strawberries, sliced (you can use frozen if fresh is not available)

Stir together all ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain the liquid from the strawberries and set the berries aside. Pour the marinade over the steak and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

When the steak is ready, top with the strawberries before serving.

Makes 2 cups marinade/topping.

4. Creamy Brandy-Peppercorn Sauce

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp peppercorns, coarsely cracked

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp beef stock base or beef bouillion granules

1/2 cup brandy

3/4 cup half-and-half

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir in the peppercorns. Whisk together the mustard, stock base, and brandy, and then pour it into the pan. While it simmers, stir in the half-and-half. Serve hot over a freshly-grilled steak.

This steak is also shown with sauteed onions and mushrooms, which make any steak taste even better. 

Makes about 1 1/4 cups of sauce.

5. Asian Ginger Marinade

Try this on a flank steak cooked medium-rare, then thinly sliced across the grain. Mmmm.

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated

2 tsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp fish sauce

Whisk together all ingredients. Pour all but 2 tbsp over 2-2 1/2 pounds of steak, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Pour the last 2 tbsp of marinade over the steak after slicing.

NOTE: if you ever have leftover marinade that has been soaking into raw meat, either discard it or bring it to a boil and cook for 10 minutes before pouring it over the meat, This will kill any pathogens that might have been in the raw meat.