Here's How Long You Should Marinate Beef In Red Wine

Simmering brats in beer or adding a splash of white wine to a saucepan of risotto are longstanding culinary customs that prove alcohol to be a fantastic flavoring agent. And red wine is as delicious a marinating liquid for beef as it as a classic pairing for a steak dinner. But how long should you leave it for? Tasting Table interviewed chef Laurent Tourondel of L'Amico Italian restaurant in New York for expert advice on the right amount of time that beef should marinate in red wine.

While thinner, more absorbent proteins like fish filets or tofu may soak up a marinade in an hour or two, beef is denser and tougher meat that takes longer to infuse. Chef Tourondel asserts that you should soak beef in a red wine marinade for between 4 and 24 hours, saying, "This time frame allows the wine to penetrate and tenderize the meat without breaking down its structure too much."

According to chef Tourondel, beef benefits from a red wine marinade because it "enhances flavor by infusing the meat with the wine's rich, complex notes." Marinating instills depth of flavor, but it's just as crucial for breaking down tough fibers. He says, "The wine's acidic properties also help soften the meat, leading to a more tender bite." While an overnight or 24-hour soak will maximize the taste and texture of the steak, you can marinate beef for too long. The USDA says marinating a steak for two days results in mushy meat.

While extra fine cuts of steak like ribeye, filet mignon, or strip steak are flavorful and marbled enough to grill or roast without a marinade, there are plenty of other cuts that will benefit from a red wine marinade to tenderize and upgrade their umami-richness. Tasting Table writer and butcher Greg Baker dives into the best steak cuts for marinating, including thinner cuts like flank and skirt steak as well as larger and thicker cuts like sirloin filets and tri-tip.

Cuts of beef that come from hard-working muscles tend to be leaner and have tougher connective tissue that could use the flavor, moisture, and tenderness a marinade provides. Even a thicker cut with plenty of flavorful fat will benefit from a red wine marinade if you plan on using a low and slow cooking method like smoking because of the potential to dry it out.

When it comes to choosing the best wine for a steak marinade, you can use the same type of wine you'd pour into a glass to accompany the meal. Dry, robust wines like cabernet, zinfandel, or malbec will stand up to the equally strong umami-flavors in beef while also providing their own fruity, smoky, or earthy notes. You can reinforce red wine's tasting notes while also repurposing the marinade by reducing it into a rich sauce to pour over the steaks as the piece de resistance.