Pineapple Citrus Spice Marinade

We love to grill around here, and this fresh and flavor-packed marinade is my go-to when we're serving grilled steak and chicken fajitas for a dinner party. It's always a crowd pleaser! While getting everything prepped takes just a little extra time, it's well worth the effort. The bold, bright flavors of pineapple and citrus fruit perfectly compliments the smoky, warm spices and fresh, earthy cilantro, tenderizing the meat the longer it marinates. Be sure to give yourself several hours, if not overnight, to allow the meat to absorb the flavors and soak in all of that deliciousness.

Ingredients

• 8 Stems Fresh Cilantro Leaves
• ½ C. Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
• 1 Orange
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Lime
• ¼ C. Finely Chopped Fresh Pineapple, plus juice
• 3 Cloves Garlic, finely grated
• ½ tsp. Cumin
• ½ tsp. Chili Powder
• ½ tsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
• ½ tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

Step 1: Gather all of your ingredients, along with a cutting board, knife, microplane or zester, medium-sized mixing bowl and a whisk.

Step 2: Remove the leaves from the cilantro stems, run the knife over to give a fairly rough chop.

Step 3: Add olive oil and chopped cilantro to the mixing bowl. Using a microplane (or zester), carefully grate the zest of a lemon, lime and orange into the bowl. Be careful to only grate the colorful outer layer of the fruit and not the white pith, which is bitter.

Step 4: After the fruits have been zested, slice the fruits in half, then use a citrus reamer to squeeze the juice into the bowl. If you don't have a reamer, you can easily just squeeze the fruit using your hand but be mindful to pick out any seeds.

Step 5: Next, prepare the pineapple. Cut the top and bottom of the pineapple using your Chef knife. Set the pineapple upright and begin trimming the outer rind. You'll want to stay as close to the edge as possible to minimize wasting the fruit. Discard the trimmings.

Next, slice the pineapple in half through the core, and in half again, so that you have four quarters. With the pineapple quarter laying on its side, remove the core by cutting away the center (where the fruit comes to a point), leaving only the edible fruit to be chopped. Be sure to discard the core. Add about a ¼ cup of the chopped pineapple into the marinade. (Save the rest for another recipe or eat it as a snack).

Step 6: Measure your spices and add those to the marinade, along with the minced garlic, salt and pepper. Give everything a good whisk before use.

Be sure to allow your meat to marinate in the refrigerator for several hours, or overnight if you have the time, allowing the flavors to meld and tenderize the steak and chicken!

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