What NOT to do when Marinating

You don't want to marinate something at room temperature. It should always be refrigerated or put on ice.

You NEVER want to poke holes in your meat while you marinate (even steaks) because all this does is provides ways for moisture to escape while you are cooking. Believe me, the marinade will get inside the meat without the holes.

You don't want to leave the meat in a marinade for too long because of two reasons... one is that is can make it too salty or taste over-seasoned. The second is that the proteins will break down TOO MUCH (which when cooked will make your meat have a mushy texture).