I finally bit the bullet after decimating three grills and bought a good, solid grill. A Weber to be exact. This little lovely better last me a lifetime. That being said, I grill a lot. Most all summer meals begin on my grill, so I put some careful thought into my marinades. Today I am sharing my favorites for pork, beef and chicken. All are simple and fresh.
- My last grill, pictured above. RIP.
Anyone can create a marinade because they are usually comprised of three things: an acid, an aromatic and some sort of fat. The acid can be vinegar or a citrus, the aromatic can be garlic or onion and the fat is usually some oil variation (I prefer olive oil). I always add salt, pepper and a little heat to my marinades, as well.
You can mix and match the meat and the marinades, but I like these pairings the best.
Pork: Onion Water Marinade
- 2 sweet onions quartered
- a couple dashes (or more) of your favorite hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
That’s right, it says ONION WATER. Try not to tear up while you read this. My brother Rick and I developed this at the beach, with not many resources on hand. We pulverized a couple of onions in the food processor, added salt, pepper and dashes of our favorite hot sauce. After wiping away multiple tears from the onion, we marinated pork tenderloins in that onion water all day while we went to the beach.
When it cooks, the onions sweeten and caramelize on the top and it is fantastic.
Beef: Asian Herb Salad Marinade
- This beautiful plate of freshness plus soy sauce is your marinade.
- 1/3 cup (about 4 limes) freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- couple dashes olive oil
- 3 thinly sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
- 4-5 minced garlic cloves
- cup of fresh chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
Marinate overnight if possible with all of the salad on top. Then grill with that salad to capture all the flavor.
- Grill it with the salad on top.
I wish I had smell-o-vision here. You want to get a straw and drink this marinade it smells so good. Be sure to leave the “salad” on top when you grill it.
- Delish.
Cheater’s Delight Chicken: Lemon Garlic Marinade
- 2-3 lemons juiced
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- optional: lemon rind, red pepper flakes
Again, smell-o-vision needed here.
Combine all ingredients and marinate any form of chicken in this. I cheat (yes, I do) with bone-in chicken and actually cook it in the oven in the marinade for about 45 minutes on 375 degrees. Then I take it out and throw it on the grill for five minutes to give it a good “crust.” I swear by this for all bone-in poultry; I am a hot-mess on the grill with chicken. I cannot ever get it totally cooked and juicy.
- Voila! Cheater’s Chicken.
Pair these yummy dinners with some of your new summer wines from my previous post (click here for wine post). Set the table and sit outside. Enjoy!
