Many of our website visitors ask us the question, why even bother creating a homemade steak marinade from scratch, when there are so many delicious varieties to choose from at any grocery store? I do agree that there are many extremely delicious store bought marinades out there on the market, however I have tried literally hundreds of different homemade marinades, and in my experience it's not even a close comparison between which tastes better. Homemade steak marinades not only possess richer and more full bodied flavors, they are also customizable and can be created exactly as your own personal taste preference dictates. If you still aren't convinced, then you really need to try out some our steak marinade recipes, after which I'm sure you will be convinced that homemade marinades are the best.
I will give credit where credit is due however, as there are some premade steak marinades that are amazing. Some of the brands I will occasionally buy include Stubb's Beef Marinade, World Harbors Island Mango Sauce and Marinade, Earth and Vine Pineapple Sake Teriyaki Marinade, Big Acres Ginger Teriyaki Marinade, and Barefoot Contessa Indonesian Ginger Marinade. There are obviously many more that I have tried and liked over the years, however those are the main brands that usually sit in my refrigerated. When I do use store bought marinades instead of homemade marinades, it's usually because I'm extremely short on time, or my wife will use them as she doesn't generally have the patience to create a marinade from scratch. I even on rare occasions use a store bought marinade as the flavor base for a homemade marinade, and then I spice it up with many fresh ingredients.
Depending on the ingredients you use in a homemade marinade, in some cases they will stay fresh for weeks if stored in a sealed jar or container. Obviously fresh vegetables such as onions and minced garlic shouldn't be added to marinades that you don't plan to use right away. Any non perishable ingredients will work just fine however, like soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and Worcestershire sauce mixed with fresh herbs, seasonings, and spices. You can even boil the marinade and process it like you would any other canned goods, and it will keep for months. I generally only make what I'm going to use on a meal by meal basis however, as I like to custom tailor the taste of my marinades in accordance to what type of meal I plan to prepare. Beef, venison, buffalo, poultry, and seafood all require slightly different flavors to really compliment the meat.
If you plan to marinate, it's always good to have some new thick durable freezer bags around. After you mix up your marinade, letting it sit with your meat in a freezer bag is an ideal way to marinate, as the freezer bag will give you the opportunity to massage some of the marinade into the meat. This process always adds considerably more flavor to your steaks. Other than having a couple of thick sealable freezer bags, you only need a bowl and a whisk or wooden spoon for the creation process. I do occasionally use a blender or food processor to mix up some of my marinade recipes, and when required it's usually listed in the preparation instructions of that particular recipe. So in conclusion, whether you like store bought steak marinades, or the homemade type, it's really up your taste buds. Do however make some effort to try at least one of our recipes, as you definitely will not regret it.
