The Spicy Ingredients You Should Be Marinating Your Steak In

While not every steak requires a marinade, there are certain steaks (including the ever-popular sirloin) that should always be marinated to help tenderize them and add flavor. A typical steak marinade consists of some sort of acid such as wine or vinegar combined with oil, salt, and other seasonings. Some cooks also incorporate lactic acid-rich yogurt or even baking soda to further tenderize the meat. Chef Matthew Kreider, Executive Chef at Steak 954 in West Fort Lauderdale, likes to add another ingredient to make a super-flavorful steak marinade: chile peppers.

Kreider explains that he "loves heat that has flavor — Habaneros, Calabrian chilis, Fresno peppers." Although, Kreider explains, there's no set amount of time to marinate a steak, 4-6 hours is usually enough. He does advise keeping an eye on the clock, though, as "if you marinate something too long, the product starts to deteriorate and break down." Kreider also cautions that not every diner can handle the same quantity of spice, so go easy with the chile peppers unless you're just cooking for yourself or you know your guests like it hot.

If you're a top chef who's used to working with nothing but the tenderest filet mignon or Waygu ribeye, you probably won't need to think about marinating in terms of tenderizing. When it comes to premium cuts, it's all about the flavor. Even if you're using a cheap cut, however, Matthew Kreider points out that "you still want to taste the steak — [...] over-marinating is the biggest sin." 

If you are making a more budget-friendly steak, however, try to choose chiles that are sufficiently acidic to break down the tougher meat fibers. While chile peppers can't really compare to citrus fruits in this department, some of them are about as acidic as tomatoes, an ingredient that sometimes finds its way into steak marinades. Oddly enough, many of the hotter chile peppers have lower acid levels. Jalapeños have a pH between 4.8-6.0 while habaneros come in at 5.0-6.0 and serranos range up to a neutral 7.0. Cayenne peppers, however, average out at 8.5 pH, which puts them firmly in the alkaline camp. If you really want to tenderize your steak in a pepper puree and you aren't too fussed about spice, you may be better off sticking with bell peppers as these have a pH of 4.8-5.2.