Marinades can infuse your meat with subtle or bold flavors, make the meat more tender, and keep it juicy on the grill. Marinades usually contain oil, salt, spices, herbs, and condiments such as mustard. You can even add acidic ingredients such as vinegar, citrus juice, or alcohol to tenderize the meat, allowing it to absorb the flavors of the sauce. Marinating works on all kinds of meat, as well as fish, tofu and vegetables.

But like all cooking, there are some basic rules of thumb when whipping up your next batch:

DO start the night before. Most marinades work best if allowed to rest overnight in the refrigerator. Fish however only requires about 30 minutes in a marinade otherwise the flavors can overwhelm the delicate flavor.

DO use resealable plastic bags instead of baking pans or bowls. It’s less messy and allows the marinade to completely surround the meat. If you’re out of bags, use only glass or stainless steel containers. Foil and aluminum can react with some marinades and create an off flavor.

DON’T use leftover marinades as sauce. If you want to brush your meat during grilling or serve the marinade as a sauce, boil it for three minutes before using. This kills any potential dangerous bacteria.

BE CAREFUL when using items such as sugar, fruits, garlic, herbs. When grilling over high heat, they can burn quickly. Try cooking with indirect heat, brush them off before grilling, or preheat your grill for medium heat.

Happy grilling!

Grilled Chili Lime Flank Steak
Serves 6

1 1 1/2 pound flank steak
3 tablespoons olive oil
Zest from 3 limes
2 chipolte chilies, finely chopped
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipolte chilies)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges for serving

In a small bowl, mix together the chilies, adobo sauce, lime zest, salt, garlic, and cilantro. Press the rub into the flank steak, coating well. Place the flank steak into a large food saver bag and add oil. Vacuum seal the bag, place in the refrigerator and let marinate in the refrigerator 20 minutes. If you don’t have a food vacuum, mix together the rub with the marinade (you may need to double the amount of oil). Place the marinade and the flank steak in a container, coating the steak well. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

Preheat your grill for medium heat. Lightly oil the grill using a pair of tongs and paper towels dipped in olive oil. Remove the steaks from the marinade bag and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Season with salt. Grill steak to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes tented with foil. Thinly slice steak crosswise and divide steak among 6 plates. Serve with lime wedges.

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