I dry brine every meat that I smoke and I have done it with my steaks If I remember to do so. Mostly I salt a few hours before cooking. I took a cooking class last night on cooking steaks. They emphasized the need to have a dry surface and to pat the meat with a paper towel. The salt pepper mix was added at that point. I asked about dry brining and the chef said it's a no-no because it draws water to the surface of the steak.
I am curious as to what other members do with their steaks.
Then obviously, the chef is ignorant as to what dry brining is supposed to do. Yes, it draws moisture out of the meat and creates a salt brine, but that salt brine is drawn back into the meat over time. It then penetrate and is a small enough molecule to penetrate into even the deepest of proteins. To me the best thing you can do a piece of meat is to dry brine it. the key is to let it go through its entire process. That’s why I always do mine overnight.
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For me, 4 hours is the nexus of convenience/effectiveness. As long as I remember to do it. That is usually about when I’ve decided we’re having steak. But if it’s right before cooking, I don’t sweat it. 24 hours is great, but sometimes I’ll thaw the steaks and then change my mind. I’m sure 48 hours is fine, too, but having the meat open on a plate in the fridge takes up space and makes Mrs Mosca nervous; even though she shouldn’t be, that battle isn’t worth fighting.
No. Never. I salt and pepper right before cooking. I want the meat to be the focus. A liberal amount of both-especially but not alway pepper(meaning not steak au poivre every time) - on the exterior is perfect to heighten the steak flavor.
Just curious if you have tried both. Salt heightens flavor, doesn’t mask it. As a matter of fact, having it on the surface is more apparent to me than having it dispersed deep within the meat. But you do you if you’re happy with your method then so be it.
If I have enough time for the full process - so the dissolved salt and moisture are drawn back into the meat - I’ll dry brine. Otherwise I hit it with salt as it goes on the grill.
It’s crazy to say, but chefs are either the least informed or the most resistant to change. Bet that same chef thinks searing seals in juices. Anyone who has dry brined a piece of meat knows it doesn’t make the outside wet. If possible I try to dry brine steak uncovered overnight.
MH explains on the free site that if you going dry brine a steak then you should salt it at the least an hour before throwing on the grill. I prefer overnight. If I don't have the hour then hit it with the salt just before it goes on.
I have asked some very qualified chefs simple questions about food science, very few can answer with certainty. I don't believe that culinary schools delve to deep into the science.
I dry brine every piece of meat I cook in any and every fashion. Full stop. For steaks, I prefer to salt them the day before and leave them uncovered in the fridge, but if something prevents that doing it first thing in the morning like N227GB said is good enough. I'll also settle for just a few hours for cut up chicken pieces. Large cuts, at least 24 hours, sometimes 48.
This is why I can't use many commercial rubs, most of which are plenty salty. Fortunately there are some great ones where salt is a minor ingredient (looking at you, Cowboy Crust), but mostly I mix up my own so I can do 'em salt-free.
Fer me it depends on what day it is & if I have the time. I have to say I mostly season the meat right before. Then again, I’m just cookin fer meself. When I cook for someone else my approach is very different. I guess if it’s fer me I don’t give a rip, if it’s fer others I give a big rip.
If memory serves me, salt penetrates meat about 1/4" per hour. If you salt both sides on a steak, that's a total of 1/2" per hour, so a 1.5" steak would take 3 hours to get total penetration. I still prefer overnight for steaks and thicker cuts of meat.
I hope someone corrects me if my memory is less than perfect.
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OK, but what if you're trying out going straight from frozen to the grill and then reverse sear (did I say that right?)? When and how much seasoning is appropriate then? Obviously there will not be enough time for any kind of real brining to occur. Just wondering.
I do this all the time with SV, straight from freezer, and frozen reverse sear too. Wet the protein a little (wet your hands, pat the steaks), then salt & pepper will stick (Worcestershire binder works well too). Then bag and sous vide, or go reverse sear. I remember reading somewhere (Dr. Blonder's site?) that increased temps will speed up the absorption of the salt. So the salt still works its way in there quite a bit if you're starting from frozen and it's slow cooking for a good long while.
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