Marinades: Italian Salad Dressing

Watch the YouTube video here!

https://youtu.be/bAkwll7eG0E

Yes, that's right. Italian Salad Dressing.

It makes a great emergency dressing when you have under an hour to marinate the meat. The only drawback? It's not all that great on red meats. My best results have been with pork and chicken. Chicken in particular takes to Italian dressing very well, but I have also successfully used this dressing on white fishes and shrimp. Please, don't ruin good crab with a hasty marinade - similar to good beef cuts. Take the time to do them right, or don't do them at all. Stick to favorites like hamburgers and crab cakes and buy the cheaper meats if you don't have time to marinade overnight and then stand in front of a grill all day.

There's no need to mix it up or water it down; the dressing is already premixed for salad, so just pour it right on to your meat. I prefer to put my cuts into pint or gallon size zippered bags, pour the dressing in, close the bag and then "massage" the dressing into the meat through the bag. Your hands stay clean and everything gets marinated. 

That's a double win! 

Even if you don't have time to marinate your meat, you can still use the bag technique and get some quick flavoring in. Simply prepare the meat first and then move on to cooking the rest of the meal. Cook your pork steaks or chicken tenders last and they will still be warm when the meal is ready to be served. Put the meat on to cook and set the rest of the meal out; your main course will be ready to serve when you are!

Note: If your meat looks a bit dry, you can always pour the marinade juices out from the bag onto the grill or stove you are cooking on.

Good Luck! ~Jenn~