Delicious Marinating and Grilling with Holland House Cooking Wine {Summer Grilling Kit Giveaway!}

While summer is surely a great time of year in terms of playing outdoors, swimming, barbeques and more, it somehow seems to be more hectic when it comes to meal planning. Considering the number of hours that we spend on-the-go, it is no wonder that there aren't many left to browse recipes or devote to cooking... resulting in dishes that may end up more bland or boring than usual.

However, at the height of the summer grilling season, a cook's best strategy is to seek out the freshest ingredients and infuse them with delicious flavor. One way to do just that in a quick, easy and delectable way is to reach for a product that is known for transforming any dish from ordinary to extraordinary: Holland House Cooking Wine.

Since 1887, Holland House has been making wines specially formulated for cooking. By using premium quality wine stock to create a perfectly balanced taste and aroma, each of their cooking wines has its own rich, robust flavor that lasts.

From Red to White, Marsala to Sherry and several in between, there's a bottle of Holland House Cooking Wine to pair perfectly with every menu. It is no wonder that chefs of all skill levels choose Holland House to add a refined depth to their sauces, marinades, glazes, and sautés!

Reading to fire up the grill and try one of Holland House's delicious recipes? Holland House Sherry Cooking Wine adds a subtle, sweet background flavor to this spicy, Mexican seasoned marinade that your family and/or guests are sure to love!

Grilled Chipotle Skirt Steak

Marinade time: 8-24 hours
Cook time: 8-15 hours
Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 cup Holland House Sherry Cooking Wine
1 cup unseasoned tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (not tomato sauce)
3-4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (canned)
4 large cloves of garlic
½ small yellow onion
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
1 lb skirt or flank steak (lean, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are delicious as well)

Directions

In a blender container, combine sherry cooking wine and remaining ingredients except meat. Cover and run on high until smooth.

Trim steak of any visible fat. Place steak in a non-metallic baking dish or sealable plastic bag. Add marinade; turn meat to coat (as flank steak is thicker than skirt steak, score flank steak with a sharp knife so the meat absorbs more marinade). Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, turning meat one or more times while marinating.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Drain meat and discard marinade. Grill skirt steak about 6 minutes over direct heat with cover closed. Turn meat; grill with cover closed 2 minutes more or until cooked as desired. Flank steak will take longer to cook.

Slice steak into thin strips across the grain. Serve with warm corn tortillas, if desired.

Here are even more great marinade and grilling tips from Holland House!

Marinate your meat. Marinating is a great way to add flavor and save money by tenderizing tougher, cheaper cuts of meat. A well-prepared marinade can help an amateur on the grill prepare food that tastes like it was prepared by an experienced grill master!

Select your marinade elements. Marinades vary from recipe to recipe, but they all generally contain three basic components – oils, acids and seasonings. Oils lock in the natural flavor and prevent vegetables from drying out, while acids allow flavors to be absorbed. Seasonings provide the unique flavor. Garlic, ginger and herbs are the most common marinade seasonings.

Keep an eye on the time. As a general rule, the longer food is left to marinate, the more flavorsome it will become. Small or tender cuts, such as lamb and beef fillets, chicken breasts and seafood, require shorter marinating times (usually two to four hours).

Larger or tougher cuts such as leg, rump or shoulder will need longer (usually four to six hours). Never marinate in aluminum, cast iron or copper, as these metals will react with the acids and salts, resulting in off flavor.

Use the right tools. When grilling, always use tongs to turn the meat. A fork should never be used as it will punch holes in the meat and allow the natural juices to escape, causing the meat to lose flavor and become chewy.

Don’t rush it. Meat will tell you when it’s ready to flip. If the meat is still hanging onto the grill, it’s not ready to flip. Once a good sear is established, it will release on its own.

Want even more tips? Check out Holland House’s marinade and grilling cooking video!

For more information, tips, recipes and to see their full collection of delicious products, be sure to visit HollandHouseFlavors.com. You can also check out Holland House on Facebook and Pinterest for even more great ideas and mouthwatering meals!

Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will be even more prepared to celebrate grilling season as well, because...

One lucky person will win a Holland House Summer Grilling Kit*!

*Kit contains a portable cooler filled with grilling tools and Holland House Cooking Wine products - total ARV $100!

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A big thank you to Holland House for providing a Summer Grilling Kit for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.