4 Great Marinades for Labor Day Weekend

It’s Labor Day, the great American grilling day. There are people flipping burger patties in parks, on decks, in backyards, all across the United States. (Or maybe we just have grill-out fever in the Midwest?)

Marinades tenderize and enhance the flavor of your meat (or non-meat option) of choice. Some marinades require a little forethought: mix the ingredients together, add the meat and let soak for hours or overnight. Others are just as effective brushed on immediately before grilling.

Here are some quick and easy recipes for ways to make your grilling experience even tastier.

Feel like going all out this Labor Day? Here’s a recipe for Balsamic Steaks that will rock your world:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil (don’t bother with extra virgin here; all that lovely grassy flavor will evaporate in the smoke)
1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic, chopped (don’t completely mince them, you want bits that cling to the steak)
Freshly ground pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a freezer bag. Add the steaks and let it marinate. One hour is probably the minimum, 24 hours is fantastic.

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If you feel like doing something new, try Indian-Style Yoghurt Chicken, and learn how to expand your spice cabinet and add fabulous new flavors to your cooking.

Ingredients:
2 chicken fillets (boneless breasts)
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 tsp tandoori spices
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp hot chili powder
1 Large garlic clove
1/4 tsp salt
Handful of chopped parsley

Flatten the chicken before placing them in a shallow dish. In a medium mixing bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, Tandoori spices, curry powder, chili powder, and salt. Add a pinch of cumin if desired and chopped parsley. Pour marinade over both sides of the chicken. Cover and leave for at least one hour, preferably two.

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This Pork Marinade is unique, simple and incredibly flavorful.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup dry mustard
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup chile sauce
3/4 cup pineapple juice
2 teaspoons white sugar

Mix together dry mustard, brown sugar, chili sauce, pineapple juice and sugar and chill for 2 hours before grilling.

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Eating vegetarian these days, or just searching for a non-meat option for guests? Look no further; this Memphis BBQ Tofu recipe is healthy and tasty. No doubt everyone – meat eaters and non-meat eaters alike – will be scrambling for the last piece.

Ingredients:
4 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
BBQ Sauce
1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut in 8 slices

Combine ingredients for dry rub (it will make about two times more than you need, so store the rest for next time). Rub all sides of the tofu with about half of the mixture and let sit for at least 30 mins.

Heat half of the grill to high heat. Oil the grill and grill tofu for a few mins. per side to get some nice grill marks and to make the outside golden and crispy.

Move tofu to the other side of the grill (i.e. the one that is off) and spoon thick layer of BBQ sauce over top. Close the top and cook for 5 mins. Flip tofu over and repeat. You can serve it now, or you can sauce it again.

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Steak and chicken recipes courtesy of http://www.tastespotting.com, a communal food blogging sight and visual potlucking network. Pork marinade found at http://www.allrecipes.com, and tofu from http://vegandad.blogspot.com.