The Gourmet Mama

While beef is pretty darn good on its own, there are times when it needs a little extra kick. The good news is that you can get that very easily and with minimal work.

Marinades can be made ahead of time and the meat left to marinate or soak for up to 12 hours. Here are 3 marinades that you can use to spice things up in the beef department and that won`t take a lot of time to make.

Each of these recipes is meant for one pound of beef. The easiest method of marinating meat is to put it in a medium sized Ziploc bag, then pour the marinade in. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal, then mush it around a bit with your hands to ensure that all surfaces of the meat are covered in marinade. Leave in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.

Chimichurri

2 Tblsp. lime or lemon juice
2 Tblsp. garlic, finely minced
1 Tblsp. sea salt
2 Tblsp. fresh parsley, minced
2 Tblsp. fresh basil, minced
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Mix salt, garlic and herbs together, using a spoon to grind the salt into the leaves. Add oil and lime juice, mix and add beef.

Teriyaki

1/4 c. water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. powdered ginger

Mix all ingredients and pour over beef. Let marinate at least 2 hours. This recipe also goes very well with chicken.

Hellfire

Warning: Only use this one if you like things HOT!
1 jalepeño pepper, minced
1/4 c. lime juice
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients . . . be careful not to get any on your hands where you might touch your eyes! Pour over meat.