When I first saw the recipe I read apple cider vinegar. I had a big bottle of that, I was good to go. Too bad it really said apple cider. No vinegar. I had no apple cider in the house. No apple juice. I had the vinegar and that actually sounded promising to me. But then I noticed little snack packs of apple sauce. Not the added corn syrup too sweet kind, the natural one, no sugar added. Just apples. This would do. It did fine. Better than fine. It lent a nice sweetness to the marinade, along with the honey. And I added a little cumin and more chile powder. Next time I would add a little heat, too. Just to keep Grandma on her toes!
It was really good on grilled chicken, too!
Flank Steak Marinade
Source: original recipe @ The Pioneer Woman
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider (I used apple sauce because I didn't have cider or juice)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (I used a bit more, medium hot chile powder, and threw in some extra ancho chile powder and a bit of cumin)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place flank steak in a large plastic bag, the kind that zips closed. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over flank steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.
Grill until desired doneness, to internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F. Allow meat to rest for a few minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
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Hi Carol, You just reminded me about flank steak..we had it last week..on the grill of course. I will try your marinade...seems perfect.
ReplyDeleteAt least you caught that it wasn't vinegar before you marinated the steak! Sounds good:@)
ReplyDeleteNever tried this before but I trust you! I will give this a try this weekend since we're having steaks for dinner.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week a head.
Oh yes - just about perfect - will be using this a lot!
ReplyDeleteMary
Good job on figuring out a replacement for the apple cider. The steak looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteYum! Love this with the apple cider. I'll definitely be giving it a try!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so good that I wanted to jump into your photo for a piece of chicken...yum! Home made marinades are always superior over bottled ones!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds yummy...I agree, it probably needs a bit of heat to make it perfect!
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh! I would so do the same thing!! Great adaptation!
ReplyDeleteI love marinades with apple cider (or sauce)! :)
Your steak is perfectly cooked. It looks delectable. Your marinade sounds terrific. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteYour marinade sounds really tasty. It looks great on the chicken too!
ReplyDeleteOh! Your steak looks so good...I cannot resist meat :-) Love your marinade and will definitely give a try since the BBQ season is official ;-)
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful week ahead Carol :-)
Yum-my! What a nice flavor to use. So nice that it's the season to grill!
ReplyDelete~Judy
If the photos are an indication of how good this is ~ it worked! Looks so good!
ReplyDeleteNice creativity there! I'll bet the applesauce works great. I haven't grilled a flank steak since last summer - time to give this recipe a try!
ReplyDeleteLooks good Carol! I buy the gallon size of the apple cider vinegar. I use it in a lot of marinades, and pulled pork. Gives it some zing!
ReplyDeleteo yes! I am going to use this marinade for some chicken legs! Looks so mouthwatering!
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe for our new BBQ. I have been collecting new ideas to trythis summer; thanks.
ReplyDeleteRita
A very creative ingredient for the marinade- my husband would love these flavors. Bookmarked this one. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteVelva
I would have never thought to use applesauce as a substitute. You are so creative! That's why your food always looks and sounds so delicious. I want to come over for dinner sometime. Pretty please? :)
ReplyDeleteWe must be on the same wavelength 'cause I was checking out that recipe on Pioneer Woman's site yesterday. Your steak looks wonderful, and it was a great idea to use the applesauce instead of apple cider. We definitely think alike because I'd add cumin and chili powder too! :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm glad to hear it turned out great! I'm looking forward to making this! :)
It's always nice when we get creative and things come out great. What a clever use of the applesauce. This sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteThe steak looks absolutely inviting. Very nice.
ReplyDelete