By Carolyn Hunter Dickerson

By Carolyn Hunter Dickerson

James Amazing 10 Minute Marinade (For burgers, steaks, and more!) I never remember having steak for dinner when I was growing up. Our family just couldn t afford it. We settled for hamburger more often than not. My older brother James showed an early interest in cooking as he was always in the kitchen concocting something! When James became a teenager, he started cooking burgers out on the grill for our family dinners. During those years, James tried combining different ingredients mom already had in the kitchen to liven up those burgers. He made a lot of trial and error marinades: some were good, some not so good, and some were down right rotten! James eventually created a marinade for those burgers that was exquisite! The simple ingredients he combined helped create the yummiest burger s I d ever had. You might perhaps already be using some of these same ingredients on your burgers or steaks, but I ll bet you never combined them the way that James did. (Or would have even thought to!) You can even use this marinade on your burger buns! After you finish grilling your burgers, stir any leftover marinade and spread a bit of it on the inside of the buns and toast them face down on the grill. They toast up so nicely and go great together with the burgers you ve just grilled! Add your favorite cheese and/or other favorite hamburger toppings and you ve got the best burgers in town! 2

Tips for Grilling Because James marinade calls for apple cider vinegar, do not use it like typical marinades. Instead, only marinade burgers or steaks for about 10 minutes prior to grilling. If you leave meat in the marinade too long, (without mixing it up a bit), the meat can take on a vinegar taste. (vinegar sinks, oil rises) That s not what you want! Another way to handle this is to allow the meat to grill for 10 minutes on one side, then flip it over and then apply the marinade. Either way, your burgers will turn out great! There is one word of caution when you re grilling however. This marinade has oil in it, so when you apply it to your burgers or steaks, the flames from the grill can flare up. This is normal. If the flames overtake the grill, lightly spray them out with water or simply close the lid on the grill momentarily. However, keep the lid off of the grill as much as possible. Burger s, (or other meats), are not as good if you use your grill like a smoker and cook over low heat. For the best burgers ever, leave the top off the grill and cook over medium heat. Allow burgers to cook for an average of 10 minutes per side, depending on the temperature of the heat and the thickness of the meat. Like everyone else, on occasion I ask friends over for dinner. Every time they get invited, they pretty much demand my burgers. (if they ve had them before.) My friends have BEGGED me for this marinade recipe too! My best friend Helen finally got the recipe out of me about a year ago and her family s compliments just keep coming. The marinade is so good you ll be tempted to drink it. But don t do that! Save it for your burgers! Why have I kept this secret all these years? Because I could! Why am I releasing my secret recipe now! Because so many people love it and request it! You won t believe how delicious your burgers or steaks will taste until you try this marinade for yourself! With a tight economy, we can all benefit from delicious recipes that help stretch the household budget and please family members! 3

How to Tell when Steak/Meat Is Done Many people just don t know how to tell when their steaks (or any other meats) are done while they re grilling. Used to be, we d always have to cut into our steaks to tell if they were done enough. If the meat was too rare, we d have to put it back on the grill. Problem was that the part where you cut into the meat would always get overdone. That s not good news when you ve spent hard-earned money on expensive cuts of meat! Then came meat thermometers. These devices solved the problem but poke tiny holes in the meat, which allows precious juices to escape. They can also be a hassle to use. The absolute best way to test for doneness is to use a pair of tongs. Simply lift the steak up by the tongs and see if it bends. If it hangs down and bends easily, the meat is rare. If it bends down slightly, the meat is medium. If there is no bend at all, the meat is well done. Simple huh? No Stick Grill It is believed that in order for meat not to stick to a grill, you have to spray it down with oil beforehand. This is just not true or necessary. Before you start grilling, clean your grill by scraping it down with a grill brush. Set it aside. Do not put it back onto the grill until you are ready to cook your meat. Meat (or anything else grilled) will NOT STICK to a cold grill. No oil spray necessary! (which means no extra calories!) Ways to Save Money on Meat #1) One way to cut back your grocery bill is to cut back on the meat you buy. Substitute eggs, beans, or cheese for meat anytime you can. My healthy cheese quesadilla s are a time saver, simply delicious, healthy, filling, and meat free. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xpnjohy2nk #2) When you buy red meat, opt for cheaper cuts. If you just can t afford rib eyes or filet mignon, a really good substitute is London broil or flank steak. However, if you want the best and cheapest cut, try Tri-tip steak. It is as tender as tenderloin steak and as tasty as a rib eye. It also has less fat and is a 4

very low cost substitute. Haven t ever heard of them? Just ask your local butcher. He ll know the cut! #3) With the meat recall of late, it really makes you think about the many food sources in the stores where you buy your groceries. Buy all the meat you can at your local grocery store. (You know, the little one out in the country.) Local stores buy most of their meat from local sources, so you can rely on their meat to be a safer than meat bought in large food chains like WM and Food Lion. If you don t live near a little local store, find a local butcher. The meat they sell is most likely from a local source too. #4) It s not what you know but who you know! Get to know your local butcher! Whatever store you go to! If you have any questions about the meat you re buying, its good to know someone you can go to for advice. They ll also be able to answer your questions and requests for tri-tip steaks! Marinade Tips When you combine the marinade ingredients, be sure to mix them well. I recommend using a wire whisk or spoon. As the marinade sits, it will start to separate since oil and vinegar won t stay mixed. The marinade should be lightly stirred again each time before you apply it to the meat using either a large spoon or brush. I do not recommend pouring the marinade over the meat on the grill. If you choose to marinade before grilling, move the meat around in the marinade and turn it over a few times to really mix it up well. You can also use this marinade on vegetables you like to grill (like portabella s or peppers!) or other kinds of meat, like pork. I ve got to admit that I ve never tried it on chicken before, but who knows? This marinade is also very low calorie. There is no sugar in it at all! It s perfect for anyone who s on a diet or trying to lose weight! You re now all set to make James Amazing Burgers! Ready to Marinade, Set to Grill, Go! 5

James Amazing 10 Minute Marinade ¾ Cup - 1 Cup Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar ¼ Cup Worcestershire Sauce 2 T Garlic Powder 1-2 T Onion Powder Mix (whisk) all ingredients in a bowl. Apply (spoon or brush) it on your meat 10 minutes before cooking or after you ve already got it on the grill! For a twangy marinade, (which I like the best), decrease the oil to around 3/4C. instead of 1C. Do not make substitutions or I cannot guarantee the marinade to be as delectable. Do not substitute Olive Oil. Its simply too thick to use. Do not substitute white vinegar for apple cider vinegar. It won t taste the same. Do not substitute garlic salt or onion salt. It will make the meat too salty. You ll need the powder for this delicious marinade! Enjoy! *This recipe makes enough marinade to do around 20 burgers or 10 steaks. If you don t need that much marinade, simply cut the recipe in half. Of course, none of the ingredients in this recipe will spoil, so just cover leftover marinade, refrigerate, and save it to use again and again! Cheers! 6

More About Tri-tip Steak Tri tip steak is an over looked piece of meat that is not only relatively inexpensive but is also very flavorful. It has become a favorite among the few people who know about it. The tri-tip roast or steak (also called a triangle roast) is approximately 1 1/2-2 1/2 pounds of meat that is found at the bottom of the sirloin. It has a great flavor, is extremely tender, and is lower in fat than most other cuts. Because it is lower in fat, it also means that the meat can dry out faster. With a good marinade you really can't go wrong with this cut of meat. The tri-tip steak is very versatile which makes them great. Uncut it's a fantastic roast that can be grilled slowly for 30 to 40 minutes. You can also cut the tri-tip into 1-inch steaks. These grill up in about 8 minutes over a low to medium direct heat. Always allow your steak (or roast) to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before you carve it. This lets the juices return and evens out the heat inside the meat. Because tri-tip is lean meat, be careful not to overcook it, particularly when you prepare the full roast. Medium is as much as you should cook this cut. Use a meat thermometer or tongs to make sure you get it right. If you are used to grilling other cuts, this one can throw some people off by appearing underdone when it s actually ready. A lot of people complain about not being able to find this cut. In the past almost all of it was shipped out or ground for sirloin burger patties. With the recent interest however, you can find this inexpensive cut in many places including large shopping clubs like Costco s and Sam's Club. Or try calling your local butcher. It's a great cut of meat and worth the extra time. 7