The best way to marinate a piece of meat is to allow it to come to room temperature, submerge it in the marinade and - Then Chill It.
Start by seasoning a piece of flank steak with a mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic, a few fennel seeds and a little cumin. Let it sit on the counter, while making the marinade.
Make a marinade using olive oil, chopped garlic, fresh basil, a few slices of onion and whole grain mustard. Give it a mix and pour it over the flank steak. Roll the steak around in the marinade so it's coated all over. Place the flank steak in the refrigerator for two hours or until it reaches internal temperature of 40-degrees. Once the internal temperature is 40 degrees, the meat will stop absorbing the marinade.
Here's how it works.
Think of a steak, as it cooks the flow of the juices and flavor is - OUT. A raw steak is full of juice and a well done steak has no juice. It all runs out during the cooking so as things heat up, the juice goes out. As things cool down they ABSORB - The Flow of the Flavor goes - IN.
Simple Secret to Great Marinating
1. Allow meats to warm to room temperature
2. Add meat to marinade and refrigerate. The meat will cool and absorb the flavors from the marinade it they chills. 3. Once they stop chilling they also stop absorbing.
Use this simple scientific fact to create your own marinades and rubs.
Grill or roast the flank steak any way you like and when you slice it, it'll be moist, juicy and flavorful every time.
Attention: I am not telling you to leave your meat on the counter all day, or until it spoils. I am simply telling you to allow it to warm up to about 60 or 70 degrees. That will give us about 30 degrees worth or time to cool down and absorb.