The day I stopped salting steaks 15 minutes before cooking

Worked the dinner rush for 2 years straight. Always salted my steaks right before they hit the grill. Thought that's how it's done. Then this older line cook at a place in Nashville grabbed my arm, said "you're drawing water out, not seasoning it." He showed me salt them an hour ahead, let them sit on paper towels in the walk-in. Night and day difference on the crust. Why don't culinary schools teach that upfront? Anyone else get a basic technique wrong for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley5810d ago

Whoa, hold up. I actually stopped salting early because I found it made the meat tougher, not better. You're basically starting the curing process and drawing out way more moisture than you want, even if you pat it dry. I get a way better sear just salting right before the pan and focusing on a screaming hot surface. You ever do a side by side blind taste test with a raw steak versus a wet aged one?

troy_butler710d ago

Honestly, I get where you're coming from, but I've been doing the 45 minute dry brine for years and the difference is night and day. The key is using way less salt than you think, like half of what you'd normally use, and the crust comes out way better. I did a side by side once with a ribeye and the dry brined one won on depth of flavor, not just texture.