HELP!!! -- Mexican Marinade for Steak

[ErgoErgun]

Need help, I have a restaurant and need to use the same marinade for chicken thigh meat and steak sirloin to be used on burritos, tacos, and nachos. Right now we're using a lot of Italian dressing and dark chili powder, with a little bit of salt, cumin, and garlic powder. The look and color of the meat is incredible, but the flavor isn't all there. Does anyone have any suggestions or recipes for a simple marinade that has an adobo or southwest style flavoring, that can be used on chicken and steak? Thank you so much for your help.

 

[Alix]

Get yourself either some dried chile flakes or some whole chiles. And from what you have said you have a lot of dried stuff in there. You might want to sub in fresh stuff which will give you better flavour. Fresh garlic etc.

 

[Harborwitch]

When we head in a Mexican direction we start with some beer or tequila, citrus (or lime only) juice, fresh garlic, ancho, passilla, chipotle, and California chile powders, cumin, oregano, cilantro, salt & pepper, and some olive oil. If I have fresh jalapenos I slice some of those and a half an onion. I use fresh herbs if I have them and chipotle chiles along with some of the adobo sauce they're in.

 

[NancyG]

Here's a great marinade for flank steak!

1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp. chipotle chilies in adobo, minced
3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

 

[carolelaine]

Here is another marinade for chicken or steak.

1/2 cup lime juice
4 minced cloves garlic
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon corrinder
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 minced chipolte pepper with sauce
enough beer to cover the meat

 

[karadekoolaid]

Need help, I have a restaurant and need to use the same marinade for chicken thigh meat and steak sirloin to be used on burritos, tacos, and nachos. Right now we're using a lot of Italian dressing and dark chili powder, with a little bit of salt, cumin, and garlic powder. The look and color of the meat is incredible, but the flavor isn't all there. Does anyone have any suggestions or recipes for a simple marinade that has an adobo or southwest style flavoring, that can be used on chicken and steak? Thank you so much for your help.

CHUCK the Italian dressing and the garlic powder out.
Make a dry rub with ground chile ( you could use Guajillo, or Pasilla, or Ancho, or Mulato - toasted, then ground), salt black pepper, oregano, a tiny bit of bayleaf, and cumin.
Add a "wet" rub of fresh onion, garlic and cilantro, all blitzed together to make a paste.
Smother the meat with the "wet" rub, then sprinkle generously with the dry rub.

 

[ErgoErgun]

Everyone thanks for your responses. It's really great to get valuable feedback so quickly, and that's what has me always return to discusscooking.com.

CliveB: any idea what amounts to use for the wet rub? When you say blitz them, do you mean in a blender?

The dark chili powder we currently use is a blend of many chiles together. Then we mix 90 % chili powder with equal parts salt, cumin, and black pepper.

The look of the steak is fantastic, but it still comes out relatively flavorless. It may be because we use very little salt.

Also, because this is for a restaurant cost is an issue. We're really hoping for something that can be made easily so cooks can do it, costs very little, and still comes out tasting great. Thanks again for your feedback.

 

[cookmex]

Mojo

Here's an authentic Mexican Mojo recipe:

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro
Salt
Black Pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

With a mortar and pestle or in a bowl or blender, mash together the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper to make a paste. Add the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar and oil. Combine well.

Marinade the steak in the mojo for at least an hour.