rayc38•19d ago

The debate on whether to season steak right before cooking or 40 minutes ahead

I used to always salt my steaks right before throwing them in the pan cause I thought it dried out the surface better, but after reading a post from a chef in Austin I tried salting 40 minutes ahead and the crust came out way better. Has anyone else noticed a big difference in the final texture or am I just imagining things?

2 comments

2 Comments

patriciamoore19d ago

Oh, I once forgot to salt a steak at all and it turned out fine anyway.

danielwhite18d ago

Wait, are you saying you didn't salt it at all and it was still good? Sorry @patriciamoore, but I have to push back on that one. Salt is literally the only thing that makes a steak taste like a steak and not just warm meat. Without it, the flavor falls totally flat no matter how good the cut is. I've tried the "forgot to salt" thing before and ended up with a piece of beef that needed heavy sauce to be edible. You might have just gotten lucky with a super high quality piece of beef or your taste buds are way more forgiving than mine.