There are just two reasons for marinating before grilling: to add flavor and promote browning and crispness. Neither of these requires much time, although dunking the meat or fish for a few minutes in what is best labeled a grilling sauce may contribute to a slightly greater penetration of flavor. (On the other hand, if you really have no time at all, simply smear the food with the sauce as it’s going on the grill.) Promoting browning is easy: anything with sugar browns quickly—often too quickly, as you know if you’ve ever slathered a piece of chicken with barbecue sauce before grilling it. Which flavor to add is a matter of taste. My favorite is soy sauce; I love its taste, and it always seems to contribute exactly the right amount of saltiness. Any marinade that is made with a sweetener will need some acid to balance it; lime goes best with soy, but almost any acidic liquid will do, from lemon to white vinegar. One last note about marinades: Marinade that is applied to raw food should not be brushed on during the last few minutes of cooking, nor should it be used as a sauce unless it is boiled for a few minutes. And, as always, marinade brushes and other utensils that are used with raw food should not be used near the end of cooking.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat a grill until hot and put the rack no more than 4 inches from the heat source. Mix together the first 6 ingredients; taste and add more of anything you like. Turn the steak in the sauce once or twice, then let it sit in the sauce until the grill is hot.
Step 2
Turn the steak one more time, then put on the grill; spoon any remaining sauce over it. For rare, grill for about 3 minutes per side for steak under an inch thick. For larger or more well-done steak, increase the time slightly.
Variations
Step 3
Many other ingredients can make this basic sauce somewhat more complex in flavor (as long as you don’t add too many at once and end up muddying the flavor):
Step 4
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon mustard
Step 5
About 1 teaspoon sesame or other roasted-nut oil
Step 6
About 1 tablespoon peanut butter or tahini (sesame. paste); some sesame seeds or finely chopped peanuts are good, too
Step 7
Some onion, scallion, or shallot, minced or pureed
Step 8
1 tablespoon or more horseradish or 1 teaspoon wasabi powder
Step 9
Some minced lemon, lime, or orange zest
Step 10
About 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
Step 11
Up to 1 tablespoon ground cumin, up to 1 teaspoon coriander, or a combination
Step 12
Some minced jalapeño, hot red pepper flakes, or Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste
Step 13
About 1 tablespoon Worcestershire or fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla, sold at most Asian markets)
