Good afternoon, savvy savers! Here’s another way I find to stretch a dollar in my home kitchen! I used tea to create an awesome-tasting meat tenderizer, which can be used on lesser expensive cuts of beef and pork, which make these cuts melt-in-your-mouth good! All of the ingredients can be purchased at your local Dollar Tree, and each usage will cost only $0.05!  This recipe can be used as either a dry-rub tenderizer or as a marinade.

Here how I make the blend:

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of loose leaf black tea
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Instructions for dry rub tenderizing:

1) combine all ingredients, rub on meat, wrap in cling wrap, and refrigerate 4 hours.

Instructions for use as a marinade:

1) Boil a pot of water, then allow the water to cool until just warm.

2) Put in the above spices and tea, and steep for 5 minutes.

3) Strain the marinade.

4) Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves.

5) Marinade beef 3-4 hours, pork for 3 hours, and seafood and poultry for 1 hour.

6) Enjoy!