How To Marinate A French Cut Steak For The Richest Flavors

A French-cut steak is a cut from the inside round or the top round. Your mind may go to rich, buttery, and fatty when you hear "French," but this cut of beef is actually very lean. Because of this, the right marinade is crucial to get the best flavor and texture out of this steak. Chef K.C. Gulbro, owner of FoxFire and Copper Fox, and Chef Ambassador for Certified Angus Beef shared his top French cut steak marinating tips with us, "The best approach is to add a little fat and wine to enhance the flavor of the lean cut."

In Gulbro's preferred marinade, the fat comes from vegetable or canola oil, though you could also use olive oil. The oil will help the wet marinade cling to the meat, and it works to lock moisture into the meat. Red wine is acidic, so it will help tenderize the meat, but it will also add a rich depth of flavor to the marinade. On the best wine to marinate beef with, Gulbro advises to, "avoid using cooking wines or heavily oaked/tannic wines; use medium-bodied wines like Pinot Noir, Merlot, Burgundy or a blend." With these two ingredients as the primary liquids, you can then choose complementary savory, sweet, salty, and aromatic ingredients for flavor. The meat expert likes herbs like rosemary and oregano, sauces like Worcestershire, soy sauce, and mustard, alliums like onion and garlic, and, of course, salt and pepper.

When it comes to how long to marinate beef in red wine, Gurlo says that two to six hours is sufficient, though you could technically marinate the meat overnight. You want to give it enough time for the complex flavor profile of the wine to absorb into the meat and also enough time for its acid to break down the tough fibers of the steak's connective tissues. But too long, and your meat could become mushy.

To serve this steak, creamy French sauces like Diane or Hollandaise will add even more richness and flavor. This cut is also great for steak frites, so French fries or any other roasted potato side dish would complement it well. A glass of whatever wine you used in the marinade couldn't hurt to wash it down, either. Or, say you used Pinot Noir in the marinade but you want to drink a different wine, one of the best wine pairings for steak frites is a good Merlot.