Can you Dry Brine too long?

[Dalmore]

It's a Choice tenderloin steak that I'll be dry brining. About 1-1/4 inch thick. What factors should be considered to determine max length to dry brine?

I don't expect to be home from 10 am to 4 pm and plan to start the cook at about 5 pm. So the 2-4 hours I read on the free side is not an option.

Thanks for the guidance.

[Mr. Bones]

Jus dry brine it, cook it when ya git home, Amigo...
It's gonna be Otay...

[SmokeyGator]

There really is not a "maximum" time, other than so long that the meat goes bad. The 2-4 hours is the minimum to get a benefit, but if you want to go overnight it is fine. Again assuming safe food storage temperatures are maintained. I have gone as far as 2 or 3 days, when things popped up that required pushing back the cook.

[JimLinebarger]

Dry brining for too long is called jerky, I think.

What Mr. Bones said. That thick you could even dry brine over night. I dry brine my steaks over night almost all the time. I ruined a steak when I salted just before cooking. Didn't salt enough.

[Potkettleblack]

Yes. You can cure the surface to an unpleasant texture.

[RonB]

Meat will only absorb so much salt, so if you don't over salt, it's not gonna hurt. As mentioned, 48 hours is OK in most cases, but not really necessary.

[bbqLuv]

For Pork, it is called HAM.
and in a can it's SPAM.

[JeffJ]

I can’t tell you the science behind it, only personal experience. I’ve dry brined days in advance. I also dry brine before vac sealing and going into the freezer. I’ve always had the same results. The meat never cured. Kosher salt isn’t the same as curing salt.

[JeffJ]

In fact I am cooking tri tips for the first time today. I picked them up on Thursday and dry brined them that evening.

[HawkerXP]

I dry brine pork butt and then freeze half. Saves time for cooking that frozen one.

[Dalmore]

Well, this cook was a hit. Wife said it was the best steak I've ever cooked. Not even close in my opinion but it was good.

My first dry brined steak. (Sniff. Sniff.) I feel so proud...

[Schwyy]

i dry brine beef overnight but keep poultry and pork at a couple hours max, due to the hammy consistency that can occur.