Contrary to What You've Been Told, You Should Be Marinating After You Grill

Conventional summertime wisdom holds that marinating and grilling are always to be done in that order: the former before the latter. But why, really, when the moisture and sugar in most marinades can actually cause a protein to simultaneously steam and burn without ever truly searing? Instead, we’re flipping the script and marinating after grilling. We’ve been inspired by the technique known as en escabèche, found in the cuisines of Spain, the Mediterranean, and Latin America (among others). It involves cooking fish and meat, then preserving them in an acidic mixture. This time around we’re putting an impeccable sear on swordfish steaks, flank steak, and summer vegetables, then soaking them in a punchy, piquant bath. In a rush? Let your hot-off-the-grill proteins soak for 15 minutes to build layers of flavor in record time. The longer they sit, the more flavor they’ll absorb. Just gently warm them and serve. Congrats: You’ve broken away from that pre-marinating tradition.