Grandma’s Garlic-Soy Marinade

My grandma on my father’s side was a wonderful cook. Although I remember eating at her home for every single holiday and many days in between, most of the cooking by that time was done by my aunts and mother. So, the few recipes of hers that have been shared with me are precious. This marinade is suitable for pork and chicken. I used it for a pork loin here, but my aunt and father shared fond memories of this recipe being used on chicken, cut up and in a rotisserie basket on a grill. They could watch it go round and smell the transformation of delicious, succulent meat. The longer it can marinate the more flavorful it gets.

Marinade

1 Tbsp vinegar

¼ tsp pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup salad oil

¼ cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp catsup

1 pork loin

This recipe can be easily doubled. For a 2 lb pork loin, I prepared 2x the amount of marinade to make sure it was well covered. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Place meat in a plastic Ziploc bag and pour in marinade. Let the air out and zip shut, move the meat all around to make sure the marinade is all over it. Place the whole meat and marinade-filled bag on a dish with sides (in case of leakage) and place in the fridge. The longer you can let the meat soak in all of the flavor, the more tasty it will be. Overnight is preferred, but a couple hours will do… and I’m sure 30 minutes is still worth doing if that’s all you got!

Preheat the oven to 425˚. Place the marinated pork loin on a baking sheet and place it in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the center is no longer pink. Let the pork rest for about 10 minutes after coming out of the oven. Enjoy the deliciousness.