It’s almost the end of the summer (emphasis on almost—let’s not rush anything along, here), which means the traditional grilling season will soon be coming to a close as well. And really, doesn’t the grill deserve a top notch going away party after all the hard work it has put in this summer?
Send your grill out on a high note by giving these creative marinades a try. The coconut lemongrass marinade is perfect for skewered shrimp appetizers, and both the pomegranate molasses mint marinade with chicken and the roasted garlic balsamic marinade with steak are destined to shine as main staples for countless summers to come.
Fresh ingredients make these marinades a delight to assemble and most only require one bowl and a little whisking.
New reasons to fire up the grill, plus using up a bounty of fresh produce, plus no-hassle execution and cleanup, equals a perfect equation for celebrating the last lazy days of summer.
Coconut Lemongrass Marinade
Ingredients: 1 stalk lemongrass 2 large shallots, peeled and quartered 2 slices fresh ginger, peeled and quartered 2 garlic cloves, smashed 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 14-ounce can coconut milk Zest and juice of 2 limes
If you’ve never used lemongrass before, don’t be intimidated! Just trim the ends so that you only use the white part (usually about 3/4 of the whole stalk). Quarter the stalk and then cut the quarters into 1-inch pieces. Put the pieces into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Next, add the shallots, ginger and garlic into the food processor and mix until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl or large measuring glass and whisk in the salt, coconut milk, lime zest and juice.
If using with shrimp, the recipe makes enough for about 1 and 1/2 pounds of shrimp, which should marinate for 30 minutes before grilling. If using skewers, soak them in warm water for at least 20 minutes before grilling so they don’t burn.
Pomegranate Molasses Mint Marinade
Ingredients: ¾ cup chopped mint leaves ½ cup pomegranate molasses* 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl or measuring glass. If using with chicken, the recipe makes enough for about 2 pounds of chicken, which should marinate for 5-6 hours before grilling.
*You can usually find pomegranate molasses in the international section of well-stocked grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can easily make your own using the simple recipe to the right. It’s literally what it sounds like: a very tart, fruity version of molasses.
Pomegranate Molasses
Yields: 1 cup
Ingredients: 4 cups pomegranate juice ½ cup sugar 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately one hour. It should be the consistency of thick syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Roasted Garlic Balsamic Marinade
Ingredients: ½ cup balsamic vinegar ½ cup dry sherry ⅔ cup olive oil (plus extra for roasting garlic and shallots) 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee 6 garlic cloves, roasted 2 shallots, roasted 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon fresh thyme 2 bay leaves, crumbled 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
Plan to roast the garlic and shallots either the night before or the morning of the day you are making the marinade. To start, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove all outer layers of skin from the garlic bulb and shallots, cut the top quarter off each, pour olive oil over top of each, and wrap individually in aluminum foil. Roast at 400 for 35 minutes.
To make the marinade, combine all ingredients and whisk together until fully incorporated. If using with steak, marinate for 5-6 hours before grilling. Makes the perfect amount of marinade for 3 New York strip steaks, 3/4 pound each.
Photos, text and styling by Beka Watts
