Grilled Marinated Ranch Steak will make you rethink this less expensive steak. Don’t hesitate buying those cheaper cuts. There is always a time and place for them. Porterhouse steaks can’t make a showing every weekend and we get that!
🥩 Ingredients
Ranch steak – This is part of the chuck area of the shoulder. So, if this is starting to make you nervous, don’t let it. The shoulder area tends to lead to a tougher meat that needs to be cooked low and slow to optimize the tenderness. Since this cut of meat tends to be a bargain, it is important to learn how to grill it nice and tender.
For this recipe, we chose to use the mechanical tenderizing technique followed by a one-hour marinade.
Guinness Beer – This is a rich and creamy beer that is full bodied. That is the main reason I come back to it time and time again. There is a sweet bitter taste to the Blonde Stout that we used this time but you will be happy with Guinness overall.
🍴 Tenderizing
There are three primary ways to tenderize meat.
Chemical Tenderizing – You will find the jarred Meat Tenderizer in the spice aisle at the grocery store. This chemical helps break down the muscle fibers in the meat and results in a soft and tender meat.
Marinating – The homemade marinade is my recommendation as you can always know all of the ingredients for a grilled dinner that you and your family will enjoy.
Did you know: Adding papaya or pineapple to your marinade will help to break down muscles.
Mechanical tenderizing – Use a tenderizing butcher’s mallet to hammer the meat. It’s a blast if you have never tried it. You can also poke the meat about 15-20 times with a fork, but seriously…Hammer Time!
🍲 Preparation
Step One: Pierce the steak with a fork about 10-15 times each side of the meat to assist in tenderizing. You can use a mallet tenderizer, if you have it. We used a fork this time and it worked perfeclty.
Step Two: Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir.
Step Three: Place all ingredients into a gallon ziploc bag with the ranch steaks and marinade for 1-2 hours.
🔥 Grilling Instructions
Step One: Preheat the grill to 375-400 degrees.
Step Two: Grill each side of the ranch steak for about four minutes for medium rare. Test for the temperature at 130-135 for medium rare or 135-145 for medium.
Step Three: Allow meat to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it to allow juices to remain in the steak. Don’t skip this step or the meat will dry out.
💡 Recipe Tips
To get the best result from this cut of meat, make sure you:
- Tenderize the meat.
- Don’t cook past MEDIUM. Higher temperatures may cause this meat to become tough.
- Allow the meat to rest when you take it off of the grill.
Related Recipes
Grilled Teriyaki Steak – This amazing teriyaki marinade would also be great for your ranch steaks to switch it up.
Grilled Steakhouse Potatoes – This is the perfect side dish for the ranch steaks. You completed a meal that feels like you just stepped back into a Saturday night steakhouse, only you are out on your deck!
Grilled Baby Potatoes – Grill up this skewered side dish for a complete meal. Grab a big bowl of salad or fruit to complete the meal.
Beer Marinated Ranch Steak
Ingredients
- 2 Ranch Steaks ours were about 8 oz each
Guinness Marinade
- 1 bottle Beer we used Guinness
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt sea salt or kosher
- 1/2 tsp Pepper coarse grind
Instructions
Tenderize the Steaks
- Use a fork to poke the steaks 10-15 times. Alternatively, you can hammer it with a meat tenderizer mallet.
Prepare the Marinade
- Place all ingredients into a gallon Ziploc bag with the ranch steaks and marinade for 1-2 hours. Work the marinade around the meat.
Grill the Steaks
- Heat the grill to 375-400 degrees. Lean towards a hotter grill and I suggest waiting for it to get a nice outer crust.
- Grill each side for about four minutes
- Check the temperature often. It is best to keep this cut of meat at 130 – 135 degrees for medium rare, or 135 – 145 for medium
- Remove from the grill and allow it to rest for five to ten minutes.