Myth Busting - Is Dry Brining Steak All Hype?

[@liahfox5840]

I've done this a few times on my own, and for me a 1-12 hour brine works better than a 24 hour brine. 24+ hours seems to make the steak a bit too dry no matter how much marbling it's got. At least for me. Plus, I'm always adding a finishing salt. If it's a good tender cut of meat cooked right (aka pitsburgh) it's going to fall apart.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hi Liah! If you’re cooking rare (e.g. Pittsburgh style) you’re right not to let it go as long. You’re not getting the center of the steak warm enough to render the intramuscular fat - so you won’t get that moisture out. But if you’re going to 130 or higher it’s a different story. BTW - did you see my Pittsburgh style steak video a few weeks ago? If not…..kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4G6k6JtZZZ4fNk

[@Keith80027]

I agree with you Al that overnight salt brining makes a difference too. I use coarse rock salt that I grind;

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks Keith. Do you find a difference with the home-grind? I've never tried it.

[@bigbird5090]

Nice video. My Z-grill pellet smoker has a skillet that I can put on after I smoke a ribeye. I usually run it on the smoke setting - 160° F until it hits about 115° internal. Then take the steak off like you did and crank it up to 11. Same process and it works great. I often use a Spicehouse Hawaiian smoked salt for the fridge time. At least 8 hours works but over night is gooder IMO. Sometimes I add a little compound butter at the end too.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Oooooh Hawaiian smoked salt for the dry brine - now that sounds like it could make an interesting flavor profile!

[@Moshbearpig]

my issue with dry brining steaks for longer than a few hours is i notice a "cured" flavor reminiscent of ham. wonder if i'm just more sensitive to that flavor?

[@ChristyVaughn]

Thanks for doing all the work Al! Very informative and interesting

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I'm happy to do the work when I get paid in steak, Christy! Thanks for the support!

[@dankasper8255]

Salt is not fat soluble. By using tallow as a binder, you created a barrier preventing the salt from actually absorbing into the surface of the meat. Experiment ruined, gonna have to do another one next year!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Great. Now I have eat more steak. Darn it! 😂

[@MrPoliticalScientist]

That's great info! Thanks for sharing.

[@AndreaShink]

you taught me to dry brine and I love the results. I can totally tell when meat hasn't been, if nothing else, the lack of complexity in the flavor. thanks, Al!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hi Andrea! I'm so proud of how far you and Sam have come over these few years!

[@ewoutpols9017]

Great video, clear instructions. What size Joe did you use there. Classic 3? What’s your take on the different sizes and which one to pick?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks! That's a Big Joe 2. I really like the flexibility of the Big Joe, even if I'm not doing a huge cook. The 3 has some advantages for bigger cooks, but if you don't need the extra capacity of the 3-tier divide and conquer, save your money.

[@daddydutchbbq]

Nicely done Al! I agree with ya 100% ! Any cut of beef over an inch thick should be “ dry brined “ in my opinion! Cheers Al and Thanks!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks man! Appreciate you tuning in!

[@gmanGman12007]

Thats a clever test! Love the approach and this unusual grilling method.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks!

[@jimalafogianis9513]

Great video Al. Very informative. I always salt brine my steaks now, but, only the thicker cuts of meat. I found that if I do it to thinner cuts it does dry them out a bit too much. By the way, I have also tried the soap stone and found that I much prefer finishing the steak off on the grill grates. You get a better flavour profile when the flames kiss the steak. Sometimes I just throw them straight on the charcoal, caveman style. Anyway great to see that you have embraced team red and keep up the great work.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks, Jim. I do agree that flame-kissed searing produces unreal flavor. I continue exploring all options though - someone has to eat all this steak right?!?!?!

[@absoz]

I’d help with the end result of these videos - except for the “as per Google” 15508 kms to Raleigh from here ;) - gobble gobble yum yum

[@jimalafogianis9513]

@@BehindTheFoodTV Taking one for the team hahahahahahah

[@absoz]

A direct flame inferno gives the best results for me when doing the sear Maybe that semi circular block hadn’t heated up properly ? Coz normally you use your heat blaster gun to finish off anything reverse seared

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Direct flame also makes the best video........ B-)

[@hughiemg2]

Tip - if you sre going to use the soapstone its a good idea to support the weight on the xring or the unused other grill grate. Otherwise you risk it cracking

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

That's a great tip - thanks! I wonder if the X Accessory ring might do the same. Appreciate you tuning in!

[@hughiemg2]

@@BehindTheFoodTV yup that's what I meant by the X ring. Be careful with smash burgers as well as you will be putting more downwards force through the support

[@soumynonareverse7807]

Totally agree that Scotch peated whiskey goes best with Texas BBQ. Try the Lagavulin 16 or an Ardbeg. I bought myself an Ardbeg Uigedal last week. Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to try it but according to the whiskey tribe, it's very smokey. Sounds great with Beef ribs

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Had a nice Macallan 18 with Beef Ribs tonight in fact!

[@JakeLovesSteak]

Awesome! I always thought dry brining made a difference. It's great to see some evidence. Great video, as usual!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks, Jake. I have a couple of videos coming in the next few weeks that I know you're going to like!

[@bobbicatton]

This was a great comparison test! Nicely done, Al👍😊

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks Bobbi!

[@koryweaver5868]

Do you have an opinion on rotisserie with weber kettle versus kamado joe? I can afford a weber now but need to wait until next year for a big joe.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hi Kory. If you’re not doing long low and slow cooks the kettle is just fine. The only catch on the rotisserie on the kettle is to make sure balance is right. Kettles are so light that they can tip over if the weight is wrong. Otherwise enjoy the Que!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I can recommend a few how to videos for your soapstone issues 😂… looks good

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I heard there's some guy named Darrin who has a video I should watch.......... B-)

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@BehindTheFoodTV hahahahaha 😂 cheers you genius you

[@adellis24]

You Got a new Sub bru... Just a tip, Salt & Spice your steaks from a higher arm height (as you seem to do in prior videos), you are barely an inch or two over the meat when salting these cuts. Also, the less hand patting the meat the better & there should be no rubbing on the meat before it is cooked (the fat cap is ok though), this isn't a joke it is common grilling sense as it creates a thin enzyme. Those are beautiful cuts of beef, to me they need at absolute bare minimum a 90m dry brine prior to cooking if prepared this way although I would likely give them a 2hr sealed chilled dry brine followed by a 2hr room temp seasoning period.

[@adellis24]

You also grilled backwards. Steaks on stone to temp to start, finish with an inferno grill on either side. It looks much better and you catch more of the juices on the stone for an Au Jus.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Welcome to the channel! Interesting idea smoking on the stone. Do you flip it to get smoke on top and bottom?

[@danielwolman]

I find that soapstone needs to go on bottom level and should have a grate underneath for support as they can break

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks Daniel. I will try those both to see how big of a difference I can make!

[@dmac7403]

Stone was a bad Idea.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I need to spend more time on it - I've seen friends use it successfully - maybe I just needed it closer to the fire. On the bright side it gives me an excuse to make more steaks!

[@hughiemg2]

​@@BehindTheFoodTV when I use it I don't use the bowl divider. I put the soapstone lower on one side with a half moon deflector plate next to it. I then put the grill higher above the deflector plate. That means the soapstone is closer to the fire and gets good and hot, but you still have the two zone lower temp on the grill above the deflector plate.

[@fladder1]

I'm 90% sure the quote comes from bad Santa with Billy Bob Thornton🤔 As for adding spices, wouldn't it be better to add those after the high temp grilling right before resting as those can burn?

[@AditiHubbyCookingVlogs]

I will try this with pork😋😋

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Yes! I'm going to test this with pork chops next! Thanks for watching Aditi!

[@CarnivoreKipp]

Dalstrong needs to send me some stuff brother. That cutting board looks sweet

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Happy to make an intro Kipp. DM me on FB or IG.

[@mikeoreilly4020]

Don't worry about using the soapstone to sear the meat. You already have the absolutely best meat searer in existence - your Sous V gun. Takes less than a minute and you don't have to worry about busting through your desired final temp. Try it, you'll like it.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

The Su-V gun is in fact the most fun a person can legally have searing a steak!

[@absoz]

Such simple but highly enjoyable pleasure 🤣

[@randyshifter]

I'm still not happy Al.. I'm gunna need to try those steaks and decide for myself 😂😂.. just kidding they looked great. Fantastic video!..

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

You need to be sure, Randy. I guess you'd better pack up Christy and head up here to NC for a taste of your own!

[@CheerwineGuy]

I still don't believe it works. You need a test across multiple cuts of beef with a sampling size of at least 30 to make sure you have normal data based on a meat temp found using a temp probe on each one. You also must test each steak across on all cooking options (the santa maria, kamado joe, the wood fired oven, and offset smoker). In addition, I will need to be brought in along with multiple subscribers to have a true blind taste test and ranking. This must be done during multiple times during the year to ensure weather has no influence on the outcome. Seriously though, great work on the channel as always. 🤣😂🤣😂

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Lol I think you’re right!

[@rupman27isback]

Great video. I need to dry brine my steaks more lol

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks man!

[@victorbenner539]

Dry brine? How about we just say salting. To many things to comment so ill keep it simple. The salting and placing the steaks in the fridge is aging. I believe New York strip benefits from this more then Ribeye. Place meat in the fridge with the rack setup you used for about a week. Or salt and leave in fridge 1 or two days. Both work great. Have a great day buddy.😂

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hi Victor! Great to see your name here I hope all is well! #teamdrybrine B-)

[@ericg649]

Technically, since brining involves water and salt, removing the water would be dry brining 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@smokingtarheel3003]

Salt them steaks and let them hang out in the fridge. I enjoyed this one.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks man! Appreciate you tuning in!

[@nickm5381]

Next time try to use the soapstone on the lower level as the heat deflector…steaks look good either way! 👍🏼

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks, Nick sounds like a plan!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Where do you stand? Does Salt Matter for Steak? Next watch How Far in Advance Should You Salt a Steak? kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWHFkIqlo9lqgrc

[@Maplecook]

Let's get our NaCl on!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

NaClol :-)

[@NovelKitchen]

Useful share

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks!

[@brian2359]

That’s some pretty amazing results just from a simple salt brine! Both steaks look great! Inferno mode made me laugh!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

People keep doubting. I think I need to start testing this on other meats. What do you think - pork chops next?

[@brian2359]

@@BehindTheFoodTV Yes! I’m not a pork chop guy as they tend to be dry, so please try it so I can see you the master makes some killer chops!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Deal. If they come out juicy you will have something new to cook!

[@brian2359]

@@BehindTheFoodTV Awesome

[@absoz]

Brian, only dry if you overcook them in my experience - they should be juicy, slightly pink in the middle - same with a roast pork - people say leftovers are dry the next day. Again, overcooked - especially when trying to finish off the crackle at the end rather than doing it properly at the start … love good cuts of pork here

[@NelsonWin]

That Vegan needs a bunch of "Salt Spa"

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

😂 hope all is well Nelson!

[@NelsonWin]

@@BehindTheFoodTV "well" salted.

[@MrMorganca]

“You sit on a throne of lies.” 😂 I find that dry brining with salt makes a big difference in flavor and texture…especially when I am doing a reverse sear. When I am just employing the JKF method, not so much. Great video, Al.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Finally someone gets the reference!!!!!! Interesting thought with JKF vs reverse searing. Sounds like another good test topic!

[@LyftedDieSeL_Wv]

I alwsys dry brine just like you did. And it’s day and night difference in my opinion. But you know someone gonna say it ain’t right you gotta do it again. You had your soap stone to crooked that why it didn’t work right 😂

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Time to make 2 more steaks with a flat soapstone! Thanks for watching Jim!

[@retiredfire2013]

Dry aging needs longer so salt flavors the beef in a shorter amount of time

[@TexasNationalist1836]

the movie is ELF

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

You are correct!

[@markfowler5577]

Al, puh-leeze! Enough with the annual dry brining. IT WORKS. Ever since you turned me on to this, my guests cannot believe how much better steaks taste. The ultimate is when one spouse turns to the other and asks, "How come ours don't taste like this?" Let's move on to something more interesting, like man vs machine...

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Lol

[@TheDrunkenBBQ]

Hype or not, you got to cook your meat how you like it. 🔥👍

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

True story! Thanks for watching!

[@billphilips8628]

For steaks I have a cast iron half moon. I know the soapstone is great. I put mine directly, almost touching, over the fire. It's usually over 700 by the time I'm ready to sear. I get a fantastic crust. That's on a Big Joe 3.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks, Bill! Trying that lower position next. I also have the cast iron - time to make more steaks I guess!

[@lazydog274]

Woof woof ❤❤❤

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Woof!!!

[@mannyr8795]

Open the top all the way. Lower that stone to bottom. It’ll be hotter than the flames of hell 🔥🔥🔥🔥☄️

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks Manny. I continue to hone my craft just like all of us!

[@patribardiere]

Please make an other video, same thing but without red hair 😂 Hairs are like steaks, too much red is like not enough😅

[@koryweaver5868]

So i showed a vegan your channel name and added some humor to it. It did not go well. I had to apologize. Love your channel and name but not everyone is an omnivore.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Lol many Vegans have a sense of humor, but sadly not all of them!

[@mexiricersgarage]

Lets see you get that 🧼🗿 scorching hot next time! Good stuff Al.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks!