Use A Bottle Of Salad Dressing To Make The Juiciest Marinated Steak

Although perfecting the techniques that go into searing, grilling, or smoking a steak is essential for a crowd-pleasing batch of beef, without a proper marinade, that expensive cut of filet mignon can fall flat. The three pillars of a meat marinade are acid, fat, and seasonings. Together, these basic but transformative ingredients work to tenderize the gristly parts of a steak while simultaneously preserving its moisture and imbuing it with flavor from the inside out. Although you can source acids, oils, and seasonings from many ingredients, a bottle of Italian salad dressing has everything you need in one place.

Although marinating a steak in Italian dressing might sound as eccentric as soaking it in cola, it's actually a practical and flavor-forward way to achieve a juicy steak with a well-balanced flavor. Italian dressing is typically made with red wine vinaigrette, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices and herbs such as oregano and crushed red pepper. These ingredients can double as a meat marinade thanks to the acidic citrus juice and vinaigrette, fat from the oil, and flavor from the aromatics. The bright and zippy flavor of the dressing complements the meaty machismo of the steak, infusing it with a subtle layer of garden freshness that keeps the bold, umami taste of beef at the epicenter of your plate. Because it's pre-bottled, all you have to do is coat your steak and let it sit — flavorful and pragmatic, what's not to love? With this deceptively easy marinade, you'll can upgrade standard beef into a steakhouse-quality entrée.

Marinating a steak is relatively easy compared to the tedious, careful process of cooking one. However, even simple kitchen adventures come with guidelines, so keep a few tips in mind to get the most out of your Italian dressing marinade.

Although a store-bought Italian dressing is convenient, consider preparing your own to achieve the perfect ratios. Don't worry you can save the leftovers to zhuzh up a bed of mixed greens or elevate a pasta salad. A steak marinade should be two parts fat, one part acid, and one part seasonings. If your store-bought Italian dressing has different measurements, simply introduce more or less fat or acid as needed. As for the steak-to-dressing ratio, for every pound of meat, there should be ½ cup of marinade. Be mindful of the sugar quantity in your Italian dressing. Although a dash of sugar can caramelize the surface of a steak for a deeper flavor, too much can burn the beef, leading to an ashy flavor. Consider purchasing a sugar-free variety and introducing your own sugar to the marinade. 

If you have a tender cut of meat, you only need to marinate it for up to two hours. If your goal is to tenderize the steak, you'll need six to 24 hours — but never any longer. Always marinate steak in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth. With these basic tips in mind, you'll have an Italian-dressing-marinated steak the whole block will love. The final suggestion? Savor it while you can.