I see several nice marinades posted that I'm going to have to try - always looking for some variety. I have used this recipe for a long time to marinate and tenderize, tone down gamey meat and so on and it has worked really well for me so thought I'd post it, too. You can use either beer or apple cider for the liquid. I find the beer tenderizes a bit better though the cider really adds a nice flavor to the meat. This recipe is good for up to a 4 lb. roast but is easy to adjust for a big batch of ribs or whatever:
1 1/2 cups beer or apple cider (12 oz.)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 small cloves, chopped)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Mix ingredients, prick the meat thoroughly with a fork and place it in a glass bowl, pour the marinade over the meat, cover, and place in refrigerator for at least 12 hours. I generally marinate for 24 hours and with tough cuts for 48 hours.
When you're ready to cook the meat you can reserve 1 cup of the marinade, heat it until it's hot, mix 1/4 cup cold water with 2 tablespoons flour and 2 teaspoons beef bouillon in a seperate container (I use a tupperware cup, put a seal on it and shake it up to mix it) and then stir the mix into the heated marinade. Then heat it to a boil and boil it for 1 minute. Makes a good gravy.
