Cooking for a small group tomorrow evening - 8 people and mostly family. Wanted to go with a good thick Ribeye steak since that's my dads favorite. Was talking to a friend for menu ideas and he recommended marinating the ribeye steaks for several hours (4-6) prior to cooking them. I've never marinated a Ribeye and figured I'd lose the question here. So thoughts, ideas, recommendations? Thanks.

If it matters my menu was going to be homemade guacamole and salsa along with bacon wrapped jalapeos for a starter.
Ribeyes with oven roasted potatoes grilled veggies (bell peppers and asparagus) and a simple salad.

No marinating. Just salt and pepper before grilling.

Salt/pepper and sous vide it at 130 for and hour.

I've used a marinade called Allegro before that was very good but then I saw the light and no longer use it. Just salt and pepper now.

With choice grade steaks and higher, I like just salt and pepper. For cheaper steaks, the Bohlner's steak seasoning is pretty damn good.

Hit them with a nice olive oil a day before. Kosher Salt & Pepper an hour or so before. Then you sear and finish in the oven or start in the oven and finish with a sear. Pull them when they're rare and let the rest to a medium rare.

I'm kind of intrigued by this marinade: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/hunting-cabin-steak (red wine, cloves, juniper, cinnamon, orange and lemon zest, and nutmeg)

But I don't want to ruin a steak to see if it's any good.

Lots of smart-assed responses. Salt/Pepper is good, but I hit my steaks with Uncle Chris (Bolners) and a little Montreal a few hours before and refrigerate. Take them out about an hour before cook time. Hit them at 500 on the grill and turn after 5 minutes, drop temp low enough to prevent flare ups for another 5-10 minutes. Pull and rest for 5 minutes.

Eff the haters. Marinade if you like it. I like this one for filets...

2 cups pineapple juice
cup soy sauce
cup sugar
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
cup chopped white onion
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

phideaux_2003 said:

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Eff the haters. Marinade if you like it. I like this one for filets...

2 cups pineapple juice
cup soy sauce
cup sugar
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
cup chopped white onion
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

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If using fresh pineapple juice, be careful with timing. Pineapple juice is often used for the bromelain, an enzyme that digests protein. It's used as a tenderizer but can turn your meat into mush if left too long.

biobioprof said:

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phideaux_2003 said:

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Eff the haters. Marinade if you like it. I like this one for filets...

2 cups pineapple juice
cup soy sauce
cup sugar
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
cup chopped white onion
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

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If using fresh pineapple juice, be careful with timing. Pineapple juice is often used for the bromelain, an enzyme that digests protein. It's used as a tenderizer but can turn your meat into mush if left too long.

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Interesting!! I always use canned juice but good to know!

biobioprof said:

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phideaux_2003 said:

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Eff the haters. Marinade if you like it. I like this one for filets...

2 cups pineapple juice
cup soy sauce
cup sugar
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
cup chopped white onion
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

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If using fresh pineapple juice, be careful with timing. Pineapple juice is often used for the bromelain, an enzyme that digests protein. It's used as a tenderizer but can turn your meat into mush if left too long.

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just watched a video of a guy testing tenderizing methods on steaks. All 2" thick strip steaks from same piece of beef. Used nothing, salt, pineapple and a jacar (sp?). Let them all sit for an hour then washed thoroughly and cooked to medium rare. Both testers said pineapple was the most tender but had a sweet flavor. Salt gave the most traditional flavor

If you have Prime grade, I would brush with canola oil and then season with kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper and some of this:

If you have a lower grade, a marinade could help. I use red wine, worcestershire, minced garlic and throw it in zip lock bag in the fridge for 1/2 day. Before grilling, bring the bag to room temperature. When ready to cook, remove from bag and lightly salt and add coarse ground black pepper.

IF you marinate any meat, be sure to take it out of the marinade, dry it off with a paper towel, and let it sit uncovered in the fridge for 1-2 hours prior to grilling.

This will ensure maximum Maillard reaction on the meat surface. Too often I see people pull marinated meat (often flank / fajitas) right out of the liquid and drop it on the grill resulting in several minutes of steaming before achieving any good browning.

Read this:

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/salting-brining-curing-and-injecting/dry-brining-easier-and-less-wasteful-wet-brining

752bro4 said:

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phideaux_2003 said:

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Eff the haters. Marinade if you like it. I like this one for filets...

2 cups pineapple juice
cup soy sauce
cup sugar
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
cup chopped white onion
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

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Any filet worth a damn needs S&P, and garlic if desired.

That sounds like something I would marinate those 2/$6 vacuum sealed bacon wrapped "filets" you see on the sale bin at the grocery store.

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Whatever man. For me it gives the meat a delicious Asian flavor without dousing it some sugar laden sauce that's a mess on the plate. Tweek the marinade time to suit your preference for the level of marinade flavor to meat flavor.

Honestly filets rarely have a great intense flavor that I love in steak. I'm a ribeye man usually and find plain filets kinda boring. I typically do ribeyes but it seems sacreligeous to marinade one, so occasionally I will do this dish when I have good veggies to stir fry with it, as seen here:

Of course they don't, that's why they are wrapped in bacon many times.

Guess you and all the filet haters only eat the meat on one side of the bone when you get t-bones.

I don't buy T bones. Hate NY Strip. Filets are great though when done right. No hate here. Just need more than mediocre beef taste most of the time so I prefer ribeyes.

Filet needs a good sauce, not a marinade

I agree. I'd rather make a good pan sauce or a chimichurri sauce to go with a steak than marinade it, but to each their own. I'm also not a fan of filets. I prefer ribeyes, but typically eat a NY strip to cut back on the fat content and still get a good balance. If I want a lean steak, I'll eat sirloin.