Dad's Marinated, Cowboy Dinner Recipe

Make marinade

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard and olive oil until sugar dissolves and mixture is homogenous.

Stir in the minced garlic, grated onion, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust: add up to 1 tsp extra brown sugar if you want sweeter, or another 1 tsp vinegar for tang.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade in a small jar or bowl (this will be used later to make a finishing sauce). Do NOT place raw steak in the reserved portion to avoid contamination.

Marinate steaks

Place steaks in a shallow dish or large resealable plastic bag. Pour remaining marinade over steaks, turning to coat completely. Press out excess air (if using bag) and refrigerate 1–4 hours. For best flavor without too much enzyme/tenderizer action, 2 hours is ideal; do not exceed 6–8 hours for thinner cuts.

Bring to room temperature

Remove steaks from refrigerator 30–45 minutes before cooking and pat dry with paper towels. Patting dry helps achieve a good sear.

Season

Just before cooking, season both sides lightly with the kosher salt and the coarsely ground black pepper. Because the marinade contains soy sauce (salty), keep salt modest; 1/2 tsp per side for thicker steaks is usually enough.

Cook (pan or grill)

For grill: Preheat grill to high heat (450–550°F / 230–290°C). Oil the grates. Sear steaks 3–5 minutes per side for medium-rare depending on thickness (use instant-read thermometer: 125–130°F for medium-rare). For stovetop: Heat a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over high heat until smoking; add 1 tbs oil, sear steaks 3–5 minutes per side, reduce heat to medium if they brown too quickly. During the last minute of cooking, add butter and thyme to the pan and baste steaks with melted butter using a spoon.

Rest

Transfer steaks to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest 5–10 minutes (5 for thinner steaks, 10 for thicker). This lets juices redistribute.

Slice and serve

Slice steaks against the grain and serve with optional finishing sauce spooned over or served on the side.

Heat the reserved 1/2 cup marinade in a small saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. To clarify and thicken into a sauce: mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbs cold water to form a slurry.

Whisk the slurry into the simmering reserved marinade and cook 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, taste and adjust seasoning. If sauce tastes too salty from the soy, add 1–2 tbs water or a pinch of sugar to balance.

Remove from heat and swirl in 1 tbs cold butter for gloss, if desired. Spoon over sliced steak.