Photography by Menachem Goodman

The Backstory

Spring is my favorite season of the year. It’s the perfect balance between winter and summer, hot days with a cool breeze and chilly nights where you have to wear a sweater if you’re spending time outdoors. It’s the time when the flowers start to blossom and the smell of freshly mowed grass fills the air. Okay, now I’m getting poetic… To get to the point, it’s the time to finally pull out your grill and start cooking dinner outdoors while using a bug swatter to keep the bees away.

In my house, the outdoor grill is used throughout the winter. It can be snowing outside, and my father will still be out there grilling chicken because Sunday night dinner is off the grill no matter what the weather is. But when I see the trees blooming and feel the weather warming up, I know it’s grill time for the rest of society.

While I’m the biggest fan of easy dinners, I do like to make something a little different here and there. So before you take that bottle of barbecue sauce out of the fridge, hear me out. I recently discovered that kiwi in meat marinades not only adds the most delicious flavor but also helps tenderize the meat. I, too, was a little thrown off, but as soon as I tried it for myself, there was no going back. Now, I know that this isn’t as easy as barbecue sauce from a bottle, but I had you all in mind when creating this recipe, which can be prepared in no time and requires minimal cleanup.

So this summer, when you’re sitting at the pool drinking your mimosas… Who am I kidding? This is real life! Let’s try that again. This summer, while you’re busy with everyday errands and need to quickly pull together a dinner that will wow the shvigger who’s in town visiting, grab a few kiwis and start marinating. And soon everyone will enjoy the fruits of your labor. (See what I did there?)

Happy grilling!

The Process

One goal I had in mind when creating this recipe was not to make you use a blender or any kitchen equipment that will make you think twice before using it. If you buy ripe kiwis, they’ll be easy enough to mash with a fork. Plus, it just tastes better this way and isn’t too “kiwi forward.”

I like the combination of sweet heat, so some kind of spicy pepper just made sense to me, and the lime gives this marinade some much needed acidity to help the flavors really pop. I say this all the time, but I’ll just remind you again — always use kosher salt when cooking. If you want to finish off with some salt, that’s when flaky salt is okay.

Afterthoughts

You can use any meat with this recipe and grill it to your liking. Feel free to play around with the kiwi concept and try out other ingredients in this marinade instead. I believe that cooking is a blank canvas and touching up a recipe by swapping out an ingredient you don’t love for another one makes you an artist. Just remember, if you’re swapping out the lime, make sure to replace it with something acidic.

What Else Can I Use This For?

This marinade is made for meat, but it’s also great on chicken, think pargiyot! Yum.

For another great dinner, cut strips of meat and add them to the marinade with your favorite vegetable. When ready to cook, sauté in a wok over high heat. Serve over rice.

Summer-Inspired Kiwi Marinade

YIELDS 2 CUPS, ENOUGH FOR 3–4 LB OF MEAT

• 2 ripe kiwis, cubed
• 1 jalapeño or Fresno pepper, cut into rings
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ cup avocado oil
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp kosher salt

Mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Using a large fork or potato masher, mash the kiwis to create some texture. Mix once more.

Add meat of your choice and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to marinate for 2–4 hours.

Remove meat from marinade once ready to grill.

Grill on high heat for 3–4 minutes per side, getting a nice char. Place meat, covered, in an oven heated to 225°F (105°C) until ready to serve.

Note: I used hanger steak, but this recipe will work with most meats. Think sandwich steaks, skirt steak, or thinly sliced ribeye.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 893)