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View Full Version : Zesty Italian Dressing as an all-around marinade.


The_Kapn
07-27-2014, 08:39 AM
I tried many marinades over the years that were made from scratch.
A year or two ago I got to looking at my recipes and found that most of them resembled Zesty Italian and tasted pretty much the same (or better than my home made).
Oil, acid, spices, etc.
I had used Zesty Italian on comp and backyard chicken for years, but never thought of other meats. :oops:

So, I now use Zesty Italian as my go-to base marinade for pork chops, chicken, lamb, shrimp, etc.
Sometimes I tweak it a bit like this morning when I added a few sprigs of rosemary and a bit of dried mint for a meal of lamb chops this afternoon.

Just my way. 8)

TIM

IamMadMan
07-27-2014, 08:42 AM
Sometimes the simplest things are the best to use...

Bludawg
07-27-2014, 08:47 AM
I agree it makes great marinate as is also a great base to build on. My standard steak marinate for lesser cuts is
1 small bottle Kraft ZI
a shot glass ea of wooster & Louisiana pepper sauce
1/2 a bottle Buttwiper

marinate for 1 hr per inch of thhickness

captndan
07-27-2014, 08:52 AM
OK Dawg what's buttwiper? This better be good. :heh:

chambersuac
07-27-2014, 08:58 AM
I agree it makes great marinate as is also a great base to build on. My standard steak marinate for lesser cuts is
1 small bottle Kraft ZI
a shot glass ea of wooster & Louisiana pepper sauce
1/2 a bottle Buttwiper

marinate for 1 hr per inch of thhickness

but ya buy a twelve pack of the Bud, don't ya? Use the others to marinade YOU... :thumb:

Bludawg
07-27-2014, 09:04 AM
but ya buy a twelve pack of the Bud, don't ya? Use the others to marinade YOU... :thumb:
Nope I drink good beer.

frognot
07-27-2014, 09:06 AM
OK Dawg what's buttwiper? This better be good. :heh:

Budweiser

chris1360
07-27-2014, 09:07 AM
I use zesty italian as well on darn near anything. It is a good way to get rub to stick on tenderloins, meatloaf, and all sorts of other smoked meats. Always use it as a marinade for grilled food.

LennyG
07-27-2014, 09:14 AM
I tried many marinades over the years that were made from scratch.
A year or two ago I got to looking at my recipes and found that most of them resembled Zesty Italian and tasted pretty much the same (or better than my home made).
Oil, acid, spices, etc.
I had used Zesty Italian on comp and backyard chicken for years, but never thought of other meats. :oops:

So, I now use Zesty Italian as my go-to base marinade for pork chops, chicken, lamb, shrimp, etc.
Sometimes I tweak it a bit like this morning when I added a few sprigs of rosemary and a bit of dried mint for a meal of lamb chops this afternoon.

Just my way. 8)



TIM

I like mixing up Good Seasons Italian mix with different oils and vinegars. Try it with balsamic vinegar sometime, it's pretty awesome!

aks801
07-27-2014, 09:24 AM
One Thanksgiving I smoked a turkey, rubbing the outside with some ZI and pouring the rest of the bottle inside the bird. Easy. Was delicious and will do it again.

mike-cleveland
07-27-2014, 09:32 AM
I use it in place of straight oil in marinade recipes.

M Team BBQ
07-27-2014, 09:50 AM
Some of the best steaks I've cooked where with Italian dressing and cavenders as a marinade, maybe the best smell ever over an open flame

CraigC
07-27-2014, 09:57 AM
The first flank steak I ever grilled, back in the '70's, was marinated with it. BTW' there is Butt (Bud) and Buttwipe (Bud Lite).

BDAABAT
07-27-2014, 09:58 AM
Agreed...my go to base marinade for chicken/pork when I don't have much time to prep. When I've got a bit more time, will add chopped onion and a bunch of fresh garlic to the ZI. The additional onion adds sweetness and character. The garlic is just good. :D

Bruce

Roast Beast
07-27-2014, 11:28 AM
I did a side- by-side chicken test a while back with thighs, marinating four in zesty Italian dressing, brining four, and leaving four plain as the control. The brine and marinade were for two hours. Went through my normal cook process, and the marinated pieces were tasty but noticeably tougher. When I pulled them out of the marinade and rinsed them, they were alread white looking on the outside, as if the marinade had started to "cook" them. I haven't gone back to Italian dressing as a marinade since, but did I do something wrong? Is two hours too long?

elvis67
07-27-2014, 12:18 PM
Some of the best steaks I've cooked where with Italian dressing and cavenders as a marinade, maybe the best smell ever over an open flame

Cavenders is good stuff, one of the best Bloody Marys I ever had was seasoned up with Cavenders.

The_Kapn
07-27-2014, 01:05 PM
I did a side- by-side chicken test a while back with thighs, marinating four in zesty Italian dressing, brining four, and leaving four plain as the control. The brine and marinade were for two hours. Went through my normal cook process, and the marinated pieces were tasty but noticeably tougher. When I pulled them out of the marinade and rinsed them, they were alread white looking on the outside, as if the marinade had started to "cook" them. I haven't gone back to Italian dressing as a marinade since, but did I do something wrong? Is two hours too long?

You are right about an acid "starting" to cook the meat.
Think "ceviche" if left too long.
I have never noticed any toughness though--Don't know what to tell you about that.

I left out details to keep the original post (kinda) short and simple.
I marinaded comp chicken about 2-3 hours or so and it was for FLAVOR, not tenderness. I normally cooked thighs with occasional forays into drum sticks, so they were pretty moist already.
I do not marinade chicken at home unless it is just dark meat, which is rare. I brine chicken at home.

Hope this helps to clarify.

TIM

AClarke44
07-27-2014, 01:12 PM
I agree it makes great marinate as is also a great base to build on. My standard steak marinate for lesser cuts is
1 small bottle Kraft ZI
a shot glass ea of wooster & Louisiana pepper sauce
1/2 a bottle Buttwiper

marinate for 1 hr per inch of thhickness

Funny! I do basically the same thing without the beer. I'm gonna have to try it with the beer. :thumb: