Rusty's Blog

I am not a fan of overpowering marinades which mask the flavor of a good steak or even a burger. If I paid for a good piece of meat, I’d like to be able to taste it. So I was skeptical of this steak marinade recipe which seemed like it would have too strong a flavor (and because of its ridiculously hyperbolic name). But this past weekend I made it with only minor modifications, soaked my burgers in it for about five hours before grilling, and was pleased with the resulting flavor.

Here’s my only-slightly modified version of the recipe, with stars where I made changes and an explanation below:

Ingredients

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped ^*
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped ^*
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced ^*

^* – substitution of a fresh ingredient where the recipe called for dried. Used half the recommended amount of basil since fresh basil is much stronger than dried basil.

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds, pour mixture over meat, soak for several hours (up to 8 ) in the refrigerator before cooking.

More notes

After I threw the burgers on the grill, I boiled the remains of the marinade with the idea I might soak the burgers in it for a minute or two after grilling them. However, it has a very strong odor and flavor prior to grilling, so I decided against that plan. The burgers were grilled medium-rare and remained juicy without any need to apply more marinade after throwing them on the grill. The flavor which remained after grilling left a hint of the marinade’s original flavor, which complimented the meat without overpowering its natural flavor.

This is an easy spaghetti recipe I made up that I think kicks ass.

Ingredients

o.5 lb. ground turkey

1/2 jar store-bought tomato-pesto pasta sauce

1/2 box whole wheat spaghetti

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 or 4 scallions

salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

Directions

1. Cut each scallion once lengthwise and then cut each remaining piece into two or three pieces.
2. Boil the spaghetti according to the instructions on the box.
3. While the spaghetti is boiling, cook the turkey meat on medium-high heat in a large frying pan, breaking it into tiny pieces with a spatula. Season to taste with the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
4. When the meat is almost finished, drop the scallions in. Continue to stir the meat. Lower the heat after a minute or so to prevent the meat from getting charred.
5. Drain the noodles and drop them in the frying pan with the turkey meat, then pour in the half jar of pasta sauce. Turn the heat back up to medium. Stir until all noodles are covered in sauce. You may want to use a little more than half a jar or a little less. The goal is for all noodles to have some sauce on them, but for there to not be any puddles of sauce.
6. Stir in the cheese until it’s melted and distributed evenly.

That’s it. It’s super easy, but tastes great. I usually use all organic ingredients, but I’ve also substitued four Kraft Singles for the shredded cheese if that was all I had around.