Steak Marinade Provencal

Throughout the summer months I will be posting several recipes for marinated grilled meats, chicken and seafood that are ideal for hearty dinner salads. Along with my suggestions for the types of greens and vegetables appropriate for the salad I will also be posting a compatible scrumptious, creamy dressing to compete the meal. This week I am presenting my Steak Marinade Provencal that draws on flavors from the south of France like fennel, basil, orange, garlic and much more. Mind you, this is not your typical marinade and the flavors infused into the steak are strikingly different. Look for the salad suggestions and my Rouille Dressing tomorrow to complete this dish. Though these recipes are made with a salad in mind you can certainly enjoy the steak with the dressing as a dipping sauce.  Cooking the steak either on your outdoor grill or indoor grill pan will give this added depth of flavor as well. I hope you enjoy.

Steak Marinade Provencal

Ingredients:

1/2 cup onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, mashed

2 bay leaves

2 cups low sodium beef stock

1 cup red wine vinegar

5 fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 Tbsp. fennel seeds

2 Tbsp. orange zest, grated

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. dried thyme

6 sprigs fresh parsley, rough chopped

6 sprigs fennel fronds, optional if using fresh fennel in salad

Place a large zip top bag in a large rectangular baking dish or other vessel and open the top wide. Add all of the ingredients into the bag and seal. Gently shake bag to distribute the ingredients. Place bag in dish again and add your steak. This is enough marinade for a 3 to 4 pound flank steak or london broil. Seal well and arrange bag laying down in dish so that the marinade covers the meat. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag ever few hours or so.

To prepare the beef for grilling remove from bag and pat dry with paper towel, making sure to remove any whole spice or other ingredients that will burn on the grill. Grill to desired doneness on outdoor grill or indoor grill pan. The time will depend on the type of steak used as well as the weight and doneness desired. For example, a steak about 1 1/2" to 2" thick will take about 6 minutes on each side for medium rare. Let the beef rest for at least 10 minutes after cooking off before slicing so that all the juices redistribute in the meat.

Nutrition Facts for Total Volume of Marinade

1 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 129.6
Total Fat 1.7 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 1,235.4 mg
Potassium 1,118.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 23.4 g
Dietary Fiber 7.0 g
Sugars 0.3 g
Protein 8.9 g

Note ~ The nutrition facts are for the total volume of the marinade and are not true to portion size. The amount absorbed by your beef will depend on the size and cut of the steak. Keep in mind that there will be almost all of the marinade left after removing the beef, including the solid ingredients. The true nutritional values will vary and be much less than shown.