Salad Dressing Is The Secret To Better Beef Dishes

From kabob to skirt, there are some cuts of beef that become the stars of the show with the right marinade. Picking the right marinade comes with a lot of pressure, but rest assured, the secret to a delicious, easy, and stress-free marinade can easily be found at the grocery store: salad dressing.

The secret to marinating is in acidic ingredients that denature the proteins of the meat, making it more tender while creating physical space for the flavorful juices to sink in. Using salad dressing as a marinade is the perfect way to elevate your beef dish thanks to the acidity from ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, and soy sauce, and the unique flavors that the dressing adds to the dish. An oil-based salad dressing also goes a long way in adding moisture to particularly lean cuts of beef. Considering that mayonnaise is the secret ingredient to marinate chicken in, it's no surprise that marinating beef in salad dressing will leave your taste buds in awe.

While the specific flavor of your salad dressing doesn't matter — as long as it is acidic — it is worth taking into account how the dressing's flavors will interact with other elements of your beef dish. The herbal notes in an Italian dressing might be a great choice to liven up a steak, while the umami undertones from garlic or onion enhance its natural flavors. While there are plenty of cheap cuts of steak that experts say taste expensive, you can add further dimension to the dish with an Italian dressing marinade.

Sesame or ginger dressing is a great choice for marinating beef that will be used in a stir-fry because of the vinegar, soy sauce, and nutty sesame flavor it adds to the dish. Using French vinaigrette to marinate your beef leverages any pot roast or expertly-crafted juicy steak with the mild onion-like flavor of shallots and the sharpness of Dijon mustard. When it comes to dressings, the flavor possibilities are truly endless; Just remember that acidic ingredients are a must if you want your beef to be mouthwateringly tender.