Momma's Tenderloin Marinade

Momma loves a good steak and she usually marinates all cuts, even the expensive ones. They just need a lot less time.

Momma Explains: The better the cut of meat, the less time you need to tenderize it. However most beef benefits from some marinating and here is one of my favorite methods. It works for most beef steaks and I serve the delicious Greg Norman, Cabernet Merlot, 2006, Limestone Coast. It is a great, well balanced wine, but needs a bit of time to open up. That means you chill the wine then pour it off into glasses about 20 minutes before serving. It really lets the fruit and spice flavors out by sitting awhile in the glass. My marinade is very simple.
Momma's Beef Marinade: You will need to cover most of the meat so use the following ratio as needed for most of the steaks to be covered 4/5 of the way. In a large bowl pour about 1/2 cup good red wine. I often use the wine I will be serving. Add three cans of Coca Cola ( Less wine, coke and spices if you do not have a large amount of meat) . Then add 4-5 gloves of garlic minced or pressed. ( I prefer pressed) , add about 1 teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon of oregano. The better quality meats only need a short period of time,( 30 minutes), the tougher cuts need more time and you can soak then for up to 24 hours. If you want to marinate longer, add equal parts wine and coke as the wine will preserve the meat. Stir marinade and drop in meat. The meat should be covered, if it is not, add more coca cola. I use the name brand Coca Cola, don't cheat with the less expensive soda, it changes the chemistry. When you are ready to grill or cook in the broiler, take the meat out of the marinade and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and a bit of garlic powder or minced garlic. I discard the marinade. Then, cook to your personal preference. Enjoy, and have some of that Cabernet , you earned it.