Zesty Beer, Lemongrass, and Ginger Steak Marinade for Grilling Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Mar. 07, 2019
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Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Marinating is mostly a surface treatment, so even an hour is enough to get plenty of flavor onto the meat.
  • Salt in the marinade helps the beef retain moisture during grilling.

For this marinade, I popped a bottle of light lager, then infused it with fresh ginger, lemongrass, coriander seed, thyme, and lemon zest. Olive oil in the mixture helps extract some of the fat-soluble flavors of the aromatics. The result is a lightly funky and herbal flavor that pairs well with fatty steaks, like boneless short ribs.

Recipe Facts

Active: 10 mins
Total: 10 mins
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Rate & Comment

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-ounce; 355ml) bottle light lager beer

  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 (6-inch) length fresh lemongrass, lightly bruised with the blunt side of a knife

  • 1  (2-inch) strip fresh lemon zest

  • 1 (1-inch) knob peeled fresh ginger, sliced

  • 1 teaspoon (5g) toasted coriander seed

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 1 teaspoon (5g) kosher salt

  • About 2 to 3 pounds (900g to 1.4kg) steak of your choice

Directions

  1. In a large zipper-lock bag, combine beer, oil, lemongrass, lemon zest, ginger, coriander seed, thyme, and salt. Swish until salt is dissolved.

  2. Add steak to bag, press out air, and seal. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. When ready to cook, remove steak from marinade, blot dry with paper towels, and grill as desired.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
378 Calories
25g Fat
1g Carbs
34g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 378
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 33%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 124mg 41%
Sodium 309mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 422mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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