Spice up grilled meat with new marinades

Barbecue and grilling meat out is a favorite of our family year-round. We have been known to be out grilling during rain and snow, and it doesn't bother us a bit. I was really excited about the mail I received this week because it will allow us to try something new on the grill.

Tracey Tripp of Cape Girardeau has shared recipes with us on many occasions, and all of her recipes are good. I have used many of the recipes she has sent in, and today we are lucky that she is sharing several meat marinade recipes. She did say that the Jamaican chicken did not have much spicy heat, so you might want to adjust to your desired level of heat.

Barbecue Chicken Jamaican Style

2 to 2 1/2 pounds chicken, cut up

1/2 cups chili sauce

4 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 or 1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup onion, minced

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Marinate chicken at least 4 hours. Cook on grill until done.

Pork Tenderloin Marinade

1 cup soy sauce

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 minced onion (4 tablespoons)

4 crushed garlic cloves (or 4 teaspoons minced garlic)

2 teaspoons ginger

4 tablespoons oil

Pork tenderloins or boneless pork chops

Mix all ingredients. Marinate pork for several hours or overnight. Grill until done.

Chicken Tenders Marinade

1 pound chicken breast tenders

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (drain and discard spices)

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoon honey

Mix dressing, lime juice and honey together. Pour over chicken tenders, making sure all tenders are covered, marinate for 1 hour. Braise tenders in a nonstick pan or grill to lightly golden in color but not dry.

Fabulous Pork Chops

4 pork chops, cut about 1 1/4-inches thick

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Garlic powder, to taste, use later in recipe

Combine soy sauce, vinegar, 1 tablespoon garlic powder and brown sugar. Place chops in a shallow dish or plastic zip-top bag and pour marinade over chops. Cover and refrigerate in refrigerator at least 2 hours or longer. Place chops on grill about six inches above low to medium coals. Grill for 45 to 55 minutes, turning and basting with marinade every 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chops lightly with additional garlic powder when basting if desired. Serves 4.

Marinade for Triangle Tip Roast

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

1Ú2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup white wine

Garlic powder

Prick meat with a fork all over, marinade 4 hours or longer in refrigerator. Grill or broil to desired doneness. May serve reserved marinade as a sauce after it has been brought to a rolling boil and cooked for at least 2 minutes.

Flank Steak Spectacular

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon instant minced onion

1 beef flank steak

Score flank steak and place in a glass dish or in a plastic zip-top bag. Combine all other ingredients, stir well. Pour over steak. Cover and refrigerate overnight or several hours. Grill steak 8 minutes, each side. Slice on the bias to serve. Bring the remaining marinade to a boil and serve warm over sliced steak.

Basil-Lemon Pork Chops with Melon

1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves or 2 1/2 tablespoons dried basil leaves

1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

4 pork loin or rib chops, 1-inch thick, about 2 pounds

1/4 honeydew melon, peeled and cut into 4 wedges

1/4 cantaloupe, peeled and cut into 4 wedges

Salt and white pepper, to taste

Prepare marinade by mixing all ingredients together, then reserve 3/4 cup for brushing on pork and melon during grilling. Pour remaining marinade over pork in shallow nonmetal dish or resealable plastic bag; turn pork to coat with marinade. Cover dish or seal bag and refrigerate, turning once, at least 1 hour but no longer than 2 hours. Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Heat coals or gas grill. Drain pork; reserve marinade. Cover and grill pork 4 to 5 inches from medium heat 12 to 16 minutes, turning once, brushing with reserved marinade, until slightly pink when cut near the bone. Add the melon and cantaloupe wedges for last 3 to 4 minutes of grilling, turning and brushing 2 to 3 times with reserved marinade, until hot. Sprinkle pork with salt and white pepper. Serve pork with melon.

Marinade for Grilled Salmon

1 clove garlic or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic

4 to 6 green onions, chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons ginger powder

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

Pour over salmon steak or fillets and marinade in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. Grill salmon, skin side down on aluminum foil, until fish flakes. Sprinkle with toasted almonds during last few minutes of grilling. Slip spatula just between the skin and the meat and slide off foil to serve. Serve piping hot.

Our family enjoys grilling our and I look forward to using these recipes, as I hope you do, too.

Have a wonderful week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.