Dark Beer, Rosemary and Plum marinade

Everyone loves a beautifully marinated meat. This is especially true during the holidays, when we have family & friends over, for a more festive meal.

The marinade recipe we suggest here is one of the best you can use for a successful Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meal.

The base for this marinade is dark beer. We used Guinness ourselves; you can choose any Bock, Stout or Porter beer you prefer.

We added some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary (stripping the leaves), coriander powder, a little honey and mustard. Finally, we threw in a few dried plums.

The taste of the marinade was really really amazing. It makes the meat so tender and sweet (with a touch of fruit), full of flavor! Simply put it in the marinade and let it soak in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours (ideally a whole 24 hours; it will be so much better).

It's a perfect recipe for any special meal; you can also use this for example at Valentine's Day to impress your special someone!

We tried this marinade with pork bites (leg/ham) and turkey chops and the result was superb! You can also use the "Kleftiko" technique to cook the meat with some of the marinade, for a SUPERB result! Kleftiko is a Greek technique where you put the meat in some baking paper, close it like a bag, and cook it slowly in an oven for 2 to 6 hours (depending on the type of meat used and the intensity of the heat).

Serve your dish with some mashed or baked potatoes, or even potato salad on the side. Alternatively you can also serve some -long grain- rice.