You Owe Homemade Ranch Dressing A Dash Of This Hard-To-Pronounce Pantry Staple

Ranch dressing is a powerhouse. It goes with just about everything from vegetables to pizza, and creative foodies are always finding new ways to pair it with different things. And they don't stop there. They're also hunting for new ways to jazz up the flavor and bring some extra personality to a basic ranch. One flavor hack in particular brings an umami punch to ranch, and it is as unexpected as it is difficult to pronounce. A dose of Worcestershire sauce mixed in with the delicate herbs and seasonings of ranch creates a rich flavor profile that will enhance whatever dish you pair it with. While it may be a bit tricky to pronounce (the correct way is to completely ignore several of the letters so that it actually reads as Woostershire), it's actually a pretty popular ingredient in the cooking world.

Making your own ranch is surprisingly easy and doesn't require a lot of fancy ingredients. Some mayo and sour cream, milk to thin it out, a touch of lemon or vinegar, some herbs and seasonings, and you've got a basic ranch dressing. But basic can be boring and incorporating Worcestershire is as simple as adding another ingredient to the list. Surprisingly, the creators of the sauce didn't much care for the taste of it when they first came up with it, and it wasn't until the original sauce sat for some time before the flavors properly melded and they realized it was actually delicious. It's got some pretty powerful ingredients, like anchovies, tamarind extract, and molasses, so it's no surprise that Worcestershire shines in everything from a spicy bloody Mary to a mouthwatering BBQ sauce.  

Making homemade ranch affords you the luxury of making it unique. You can switch out the milk for buttermilk to get more of a sour tang and add all sorts of ingredients to change up the flavor. In fact, one of the best things about ranch is it accepts flavor upgrades that go far beyond the spicy umami punch it gets from Worcestershire sauce and lets you explore a variety of options.

You can always pick up a bottle from the grocery store (there are plenty of great store-bought ranch choices on the market) and add some Worcestershire to it. But when you make the ranch from scratch and incorporate this sauce into your recipe, you have more control over what the final result tastes like. It will also give all the ingredients equal time to meld together so you know the Worcestershire is fully incorporated with the rest of your ingredients. In addition to the salty, umami blast that ranch gets from Worcestershire, it also pairs exceptionally well with spicy ingredients, like sriracha or taco seasoning. The ranch provides a cooling component that perfectly balances the spicy ingredients, so you get plenty of flavor without overpowering heat. Feel free to experiment with your Worcestershire-infused homemade ranch.