The 3-Ingredient Marinade You Need For Chophouse-Quality Steaks

There are many schools of thought as to the best ways to cook a steak and plenty of discourse around dry rubs, marinades, finishing sauces, and more. With steak, it's usually a good idea to keep things simple as far as flavor is concerned. To confirm this, Tasting Table spoke to Austin Stull, executive chef at The Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar in Chicago, to get his expert opinion. Stull's favorite marinade is "confit/roasted garlic, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire." Stull notes that the basic 3-ingredient sauce is ideal when prepared in a 2:1:1 ratio and mixed in a blender until smooth.

This dynamic trio of ingredients works as a three-pronged approach. Stull says, "The garlic adds its aromatic compounds, the Dijon adds acid but also helps to tenderize the meat, and the Worcestershire rounds the flavors out with its depth and subtle sweetness." Simple, tasty, and effective — this pares down even the most basic tenderizing steak marinade recipe, leaving just the bare necessities for delicious results.

Breaking down the 3-ingredient marinade, you'll need a quality version of each element for the best sauce in which to bathe your steak prior to cooking. Start with a simple oven-roasted garlic recipe or prepare it confit-style by adding olive oil prior to roasting. There are plenty of store-bought Dijon mustard brands to choose from with Maille and Grey Poupon taking the top two spots per Tasting Table's rankings. Lea & Perrins is known as the original Worcestershire sauce and is an excellent choice to use in this marinade. Remember to take time and let everything reach a smooth texture when blending so that the flavors fully permeate your steak during the marinating process.

If you have the time, letting your steak marinate for at least 24 hours beforehand is ideal. One of the easiest ways to do this is by putting your steak in a plastic bag and then pouring in the marinade, sealing the bag to remove as much air as possible and squishing it around to get full coverage before placing it in the fridge. Be sure to take your steak out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking to let the meat reach room temperature and shake off any excess sauce to ensure that the meat is evenly cooked. From there, it's up to you to choose your level of doneness and what side dishes to pair it with.