Glad to Meat You!

Today I had to run to the store to pick up a few staples for the week.  To my delight it was meat closeout day.  Today was the day marked on the meat that it had to be taken off the shelves so everything with today's date was almost half off.  I got about 15-20 pounds of meat for a steal!  Normally we buy our meat directly from the farmer, but we are all out of summer grill ables.  So I stocked up on chicken and pork.  Unfortunately no filet mignon were closing out today, but we now have a good stash of healthy grilling meat.  

So, I spent my morning unpackaging all the meat then whipping up some easy marinades and freezing them.  Now, all we have to do on grill nights is pull out a baggie of marinaded meat.  As it thaws it will continue to soak up the flavors for a delectable grilling flavor.  If you think marinades are too much work and you choose to buy them in the store, I can prove that for pennies you can have a way better product with items you probably always have in your kitchen if you cook on a regular basis.  I package my meat in gallon size zip top bags.  I squeeze all the air out for better storage and it helps the meat soak up the flavor better.

Here's what I chose for the this week's meat buy:

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Thighs

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:3 lbs Chicken Thighs
1 medium onion, finely chopped3 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon oil1 tablespoon cider or white vinegar
1/4 cup tomato juice or sauce
3 tablespoons coconut milk or water2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves2 teaspoons sugar1 teaspoon salt (kosher or sea salt is preferable)1 teaspoon Jamaican Pimento (Allspice), ground1 teaspoon black pepper, ground1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground1 tablespoon - or to taste of sirachi (hot pepper sauce)

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. This marinade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Teriyaki Marinade

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:1 cup soy sauce3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

This recipe would be great for chicken or pork and for up to 1-2 lbs of meat.

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients and mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Marinate for up to 24 hours.

Lemon Garlic Marinade

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb

2 tablespoons lemon juice or juice from half a lemon

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup of water

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

This recipe would work for chicken or pork and for up to 1lb of meat.

Preparation:

Whisk all together and pour over meat.  Marinate up to 24 hours.

Tequila Lime Cilantro

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove minced (or 1 teaspoon minced jarred garlic)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Juice from 1/2 a lime (reserved squeezed lime)

1/2 cup of chicken stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or 2 tablespoons of dried cilantro

This can be used for chicken, shrimp, or beef.

Preparation:

Blend together and pour over meat and let marinate for up to 2 hours.  Do not let it sit in the marinade longer as the lime will toughen the chicken.