How to Season Steak Experiment - When to Salt Your Steaks, INCREDIBLE!

[@TheXfams]

The color change is from the oxidization and curing of the meat. The extra tenderness is caused by the fact that the meat was allowed to evaporate all the extra liquids. This means that all the time it was cooking it was rendering those fats in the steak. The other two had to evaporate the liquids first before starting to render their fats. Hope this helps.

[@kawythowy867]

Yes it did. I am A fan.

[@robmiller2556]

And thank you for that addition- I enjoy learning and I follow ya! Personally, I think he could have put the other two on the rack in the fridge to keep everything equal?

[@Phyrre56]

When he salted the first steak and put it in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours while the other steaks were wrapped, he not only salted it but also started drying it. Should have left the other two steaks uncovered too for 24 hours to zero out that effect.

[@barry4967]

Not a scientist.

[@jeffk464]

Its amazing how much knowledge people have about cooking steaks. Never thought about baking a steak and then pan searing it, might have to give it a try.

[@bret9741]

I grew up on a cattle ranch. We initially had all Hereford cattle. If you don’t know the breeds, it’s a red with white face often curled hair on the face medium to large (for cattle breed) animal. They were gentle and often could become pet like animals that put on a lot of good marbling and fat. In the mid 80’s the media began telling everyone “fat is bad” so the packing houses started asking for Brangus and Angus characteristics. So we began transitioning to the Angus breed with some Brangus. These were not gentile, docile animals. They were incredibly muscular and far more high spirited. We had a lot of cows who would literally do all they could to kill you once we separated them from their calves.... and they would do this with long memories. Anyway, I noticed a massive change in the quality of the meat and fat content from the two breeds. I call it the dark years of meat production. Seemingly over a period of 10 years steaks went from heavily marbled, lots of fat to lean and mean. The Angus netted us more money as a producer but at a cost of needing more feedlot prep to get a good steak. This had two effects on the market. First the average stake house saw a decline in quality while the higher end steak houses saw a large increase in the cost of a properly fatted steer. We found it took 3-4x longer feeding and pampering during the early years of Angus/Brangus breeds to get deep rich marveling and flavor. That’s been 40+ years. Today the selective breeding and years of careful selection has made for a better Angus / Brangus steak. However, I recently ate some prime Hereford steaks and was reminded that it’s hard to beat the gentle and naturally fat generating Hereford. I’ll say this, Europe farmers never really bought into this “fat is bad” campaign as far as beef production goes. They ignored the media and kept producing what they had perfected long ago. Most of the cattle ranches, where I grew up, have a mix herd these days. Their cattle, genetically are a mix of Hereford, Angus, Brangus and Lemoisin. It’s interesting, the females are smaller than Hereford and most Angus cows. In general, their hornless. You’ll see a mix of colors with a lot of white faces. Most of the ranchers are using Angus Bulls and occasionally bringing in other breeds to “see what happens”. Our ranch (sold it in 1992) was in the mountains of NM where the Guadalupe and Sacramento Mountains collide. We found the largest breeds struggled, especially bulls like Lemoisin. Their extreme size and weight made it difficult for them to walk on the loose rocks and stratified outcrops. So much goes into a great steak even before it hits the grill. Fortunately, packing houses and ranchers have learned a lot from their mistakes. I tend to buy stakes from two places. Costco and a local butcher. The butchers steaks are more expensive but I love to support their business. I’ve tried the same experiment. If frozen, I like to thaw the stakes the day before by letting them thaw at room temperature. Then l salt, seal in plastic and then place in the fridge. The next day I’ll pull them out around 1 pm for a 5:30 pm cook time. I’ll season “to order” then either pan fry/sear then throw on the pellet grill until internal temp is 130-135. I’ll then set on table covered for 5-10 minutes prior to serving. Seems to work. Sorry for all the typos. The more I use auto correct the more stupid I become.

[@MonochromeChromosome]

Thank you for a good story and some stellar advise on steak cooking ;)

[@joedart2932]

Great info! Maybe you should start a youtube channel 👍

[@bret9741]

@@joedart2932 for a short time when Apple was a young company, I worked for it in sales. Should have stayed, long story. Anyway I could easily learn new things. Now, I can’t learn anything new but rather make small improvements to things I already know. I’ve been trying to develop a web site for my company and after thousand and thousands of dollars ..... paying experts who don’t know my industry, I end up with a lousy site. So I can’t even manage this simple task. Lol 😂

[@foodog3026]

Wow! I didn’t even have to watch the video, thanks!

[@thezfunk]

You can thank the sugar industry. There was a war going on with what was causing our health issues. We knew it was the food we ate. Research showed and continues to show that it is related to our extremely high sugar intake. The sugar industry was not going to lie down and take that bit of information so their marketing paid off some researchers and ratcheted up the marketing for a full on war on fat. They won at the time and we went into this downward spiral of 'fat is bad'. You take fat out of something you have to put flavor back and they did it with more sugar and more salt. Health has continued to decline. In the last few years, people have started to realize the number the sugar industry has done on us and our health. I love sweets and I have a large sweet tooth but cutting them out will do the furthest to improve health. Bring back the fat!

[@gtrfreak]

Great results, salting the steak 24 hours before and letting it sit uncovered in the fridge is the exact same way Kenji does it and he's a master

[@rickdougherty1371]

But can covering it negatively affect it? Just seems it would have to be more moist.

[@moist_onions]

⁠@@rickdougherty1371uncovered allows the meat to dry which is desirable because it enhances the meats flavor and allows for fats to render and penetrate faster. If you cover it you will retain all that moisture which causes a bland grey awkward piece of meat.

[@tyblu7667]

It's just dry brining and is extremely common for steaks

[@i_have_ur_loot8582]

Yes! 🙌🏻 I've been salting my steaks a day ahead of time for years! I use a coarse salt and cover them for 24 hours. Remove. Pat dry. Then soak in a mix of worcestershire and soy sauce for another 24 hours. Remove. Pat dry. Get to room temp. Season with cracked peppers. Sear all sides in a pan with butter, garlic and rosemary. Into the over to finish off. Down the hatch! 🤤 I learned this from a chef at a nice country club. Never looked back lol

[@mrhodes3140]

that isnt salty ?

[@duartevaldemar]

Immediately after salting the steak, the salt rests on the surface of the meat, undissolved. All the steak's juices are still inside the muscle fibers. Within 3 or 4 minutes the salt, through the process of osmosis, will begin to draw out liquid from the beef. This liquid beads up on the surface of the meat. Cooking at this point and you waste valuable heat energy simply evaporating this large amount of pooled liquid and flavor-building browning reactions are inhibited. Starting at around 10 to 15 minutes, the brine formed by the salt dissolving in the meat's juices will begin to break down the muscle structure of the beef, causing it to become much more absorptive. The brine begins to slowly work its way back into the meat. By the end of 40 minutes, most of the liquid has been reabsorbed into the meat. A small degree of evaporation has also occurred, causing the meat to be ever so slightly more concentrated in flavor. That is way it is always recommended to salt at least 40 minutes in advance either for standard or reverse searing.

[@SpaceCowboy57]

This is good advice if you're just searing it, but he's reverse searing these; they're all going to have around the same surface moisture after 45 minutes in the oven.

[@holwu]

I once learned this in a grill seminar, where the instructor literally buried the steaks in salt and left them so for about one hour. After that he complete removed the salt and started the reverse grilling process. The result was fantastic as we had very tender meat.

[@DanF707]

Great. Very concise and informative. I've always lightly salted and I use a small amount of fresh ground garlic pepper and occasionally a little blackening seasoning. I have a friend who always marinades his steaks and personally I think it ruins the 🥩.

[@margaretlavender4418]

Robert Bear. Don’t be so crude and vulgar! You Americans........

[@aliceatomshine9181]

This is exactly what I do. Turns out perfect every time!

[@vycman2009]

Great video thanks, really enjoyed the experiment. There's an easy 'steak hack' that we use in competitive steak competitions that your subscribers might find of interest. Get a big cheap box of coarse kosher or pickling salt ( no iodine in either) and pour a cup or so in a glass or ceramic tray lay the steak on top with full contact then pour a cup on top so it's fully covered. Leave it for one hour then thoroughly rinse it off with cold water, dry well with paper towels, lightly coat it with any high-heat oil, and season as usual (but just a little less salt if that's all you are using). Grill as you like and let rest for 15 min under tented foil. This technique has wins a ton of comps and is great at home to super-tenderize your beef in only an hour. Someone here will no doubt know the organic chemistry on this but I forgot the little chem knowledge I had back in the 80s lol

[@911st22]

Interesting! Never knew they had competitive state competitions but it sounds delicious Haha Do you leave it on the counter with the salt or put it in the fridge? I usually take steaks out 20-30min prior to cooking but ive never done an hour.

[@aa3nk]

Changing membrane permeability causes water retention. Water retention causes cells to "explode" thereby creating phagocytosis which is where the tenderness comes from. Haha, my organic chem days was also from the early 80s.

[@joshuabates4759]

Hey, one thing I noticed you should try experiment again: The 1 day steak had a different process than the other outside of the salting timeline. By stashing in the refrigerator exposed, salted or not, meat will be dried out, concentrating the flavor. It's kind of home done dry aging. I would suggest doing this again, keeping all 3 pieces on the same tray at all times, and only vary salting time. This would even out testing parameters such as temperature and moisture differences since all would be subject to the same movements at all times. Salt 1 steak 1 day prior Stash all 3 open shelf in refrigerator. Pull all 3, salt 1 hour prior on second steak Let all rest room temp together. Salt last steak 1 minute prior. Bonus for you... MORE STEAK!!!!

[@zonacrs]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@jacquesdr4570]

Yup. So nice

[@kenspackman7402]

Yep, totally agree!

[@sameter3]

The salt won’t stick as well to the once they are dried out.

[@landseer18]

@@sameter3 likely true, but as performed this experiment has two variables, one of which is not controlled. So the improvement in the 24 hour steak may be due to the salt time. And it may be due to the drying time. And it might be due to both. It is impossible to tell with the design of the experiment. What we learned is that if you salt early, then dry in the fridge overnight it is better than salting later and not drying overnight. That's a nice thing. Related to salting? Only maybe so far.

[@donaldpruett852]

As a young child growing up in Indiana I spent the summers playing around my dad's meat packing house. I'd watch the kill floor operation and clean up. I grew up knowing what fresh beef smelled and tasted like. Today I'm closing the door on 79 (born 1944). The only seasoning I put on my steaks are basically salt and pepper. I have grown fond of McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning. Used sparingly. Basically, it is coarse salt, black pepper, a not-so-noticeable red pepper and garlic. I love the taste of medium rare to rare beef too much to bury it under a heavy layer of stuff. Your salt treatment is worth remembering. I always used my salt & pepper right before they went on the grill. Looks like a change is in order.

[@michaelkane6797]

Good stuff! I've been a 1-hour guy for years, get it out and let it get to room temp. Then season and set aside, prep grill and whatever sides you're having, then cook. I also prefer open flame to skillet, but that's another discussion... Glad I found your channel.

[@rmfeder91]

So I only started cooking a few months ago at 28. I also am an ex-vegan as of a month ago. I have to say, this was the perfect way to eat red meat for the first time all over again. I did a 20 hour brine (missed for a few hours but we couldn’t wait lol). I seared it in cultured butter rather than avocado oil. It has a high smoke point and adds a bit of tang. No other seasonings. It’s also the first time I’ve made something in my new cast iron pan. Just awesome. If my boyfriend doesn’t propose to me now, I don’t know if anything will work. You’re the best, thank you so much.

[@clintonhurst7810]

Ex vegan here too...0 carb Carnivore for the last year....Awesome results in health!

[@keeleyschulz7174]

Butter has a very low smoke point actually

[@semrushall-in-onemarketing3500]

Ex vegan here too. After ruining my health I'm now carnivore and the heathiest, leanest and happiest in my life!

[@subgod]

Smart AND can cook a steak!.... if that doesn't get a ring on your finger I don't what will!! Lol ...try ketchup! Cheers!

[@ag358]

Very well done, and yes salting the day before is the way to go. As a 40 plus year meat cutter and part time grill cook i say great video. Another thing to consider, we used to let a whole ribeye sit in the walk- in cooler for 1 week. They were so much more tender than ribeyes that were cut the same day. I always sold those ribeyes to myself only because of inspectors, i didn't think they would approve of the practice but the difference was unbelievable. Ty for the video

[@niko-7417]

So you aged them a week? We’re they cut already or did you have the whole cut sit for a week? Also we’re they just resting flat? Did you wrap the steaks at all? Any brown oxidation? If so did you leave it or cut it off?

[@ag358]

@@niko-7417 most whole ribeyes are put in a vac sealed plastic, so i would take the plastic off and let in set in the cooler, 33degrees, for 1 week and i didn't cut anything off, i used to buy meat from a local packer, he would let them set for 3 to 4 weeks, i don't know if he cut anything off but to me it was too long to do this. One week did very well ,also after they are cut, let them set out in room temp to warm up then put them on the grill. As i said, i did this just for myself, i would guess letting a quarter of beef set in the cooler would or should have the same effect. I believe letting a steak warm at room temp activates a chemical process that makes it more tender. I always use choice beef or prime, the small pockets of fat in the steak is called marbling, if the whole steak is completely red with no visible fat pockets it will be a little chewy, the fat pockets help make it tender and juicy, do not overcook, remember a steak will continue to cook even after you take it off the grill. Happy grilling!

[@ag358]

I just re -read your post, buy it whole, if you buy a couple of steaks keep them flat and exposed, look at them daily , everyone's refrigerator is different, if may not take as long as a week, experiment with different times, maybe go several days at first but always remember to let them set at room temp, i usually did around an hour , again try different times. Try 30 min to an hour, cold muscle fibers tense up when put in a hot pan or grill but i believe there is more to it then that, i believe a process starts to break down tissue to make it more tender.

[@niko-7417]

Thank you for the detailed responses!

[@k7in846]

Well crafted experiment. I’ve researched this subject a fair amount. Preference is of course the rule of thumb, but I agree with Mr. Brisket’s final conclusion. As an addition, when it comes to salting, one should either salt one minute prior to cook or wait at least 45 minutes, in between that time frame is not recommended. The explanation is that salt on meat triggers the moisture inside to rise to the surface, that begins to happen after about a minute of salting. That salted moisture then gets drawn back inside the meat and diffuses through the inside until about 45 minutes after salting. So if you cook in between that time frame you’ll end up cooking off a lot of that seasoned moisture before it has a chance to make its way back inside and you’ll end up with a dryer steak. At the minute mark you’re still good because that moisture is still inside, though you’ll end up with a blander inside with a saltier crust, nothing wrong with that, but my preference is definitely at least an hour to a day. Hope that might help any curious cooks out there.

[@stuckhere90]

I tried salting my sirloin steak the day before I was going to cook it, and it turned out awesome. BEST steak I have had in a long time. Definitely will do this again. Thanks for the seasoning tip.

[@dansmith9443]

Finally I can prove to my wife that salting and ageing meat makes a huge difference. Thanks n keep up the quality work.

[@L0n3W0lfBl4ck]

When you salt it a leave it over night, it’s called dry brining, and in my opinion is the best way to salt meat.

[@RG-mw9wj]

SALT

[@brandon7219]

yup

[@joedeertae4126]

I’ve always salted at least 1hr, pat dry, add seasoning (no more salt), sear on grill for 3-5min per side...perfect rare/mid-rare. Turns out fantastic; flavorful & tender every time.

[@rpkphoto]

I tried this method tonight - the one hour salt version - with a 3/4 inch porterhouse steak. It came out just great. My wife and I each had half of the filet and half of the rest (I got to gnaw the bone). Thanks so much for helping me create this great meal!

[@yourebikebuddy]

Read “Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat” if you want to understand about salting. The author does a great job of explaining the science behind why the salted stuff is juicier and more tender.

[@stephenmorton6180]

Agree! S A F H is an awesome series to study

[@MsCmbernal]

Omg, thank you for doing this experiment! I bought some steaks on Thursday and didn’t get around to cooking them that night, I remembered your video and decided to salt them so they would be ready to go. I wound up leaving them salted for 48 hours and they were probably one of the most flavorful and tender steaks I’ve had in a while. This will now be my new method and your channel has move to my top favorites. Thank you for doing what you do!

[@phlushphish793]

I once got a brine recipe off the Food Network for Thanksgiving. Soaked that bird in brine overnight. It was the juciest turkey I ever had! Sorry, mom!

[@SciPhi161]

The salt denatures the proteins within the meat, making it a lot juicier. Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat is a great book to read

[@JosBTG]

its honestly the best cook book ever created !

[@jonathancangelosi2439]

Yep, I accurately predicted the outcome of this video based on that book!

[@jamesmerritt5562]

Ill have to look that book up and get a copy. I was always taught that salt draws moisture to the surface then you just cook it away, so don't salt the meat until AFTER its cooked. How do so many people get this wrong? Turns out I need to salt the meat at least a day before I cook it? Mind blown.

[@31415936536]

@@jamesmerritt5562 , you're kind of correct. Salt does draw moisture out of the meat, but primarily only near the surface. A nice dry surface allows for the Maillard reaction (browning/carmelization) to take place more easily. This enhances the flavor and texture. General rule: Salt it, rest it, dry it off with a paper towel, cook it.

[@AfricanSunProductions]

VERY interesting. I wonder what the differences will be on wild game meat? I'm gonna test...

[@jacobpetersen5662]

I'd absolutely recommend using ghee as it's butter still but with a much higher smoke point. I'm from a butcher family, my father hipped me to this. For me, it's better than any oil.

[@josephlombardo4825]

Pork lard is even better than that

[@jacobpetersen5662]

@@josephlombardo4825 If you want that taste, sure.

[@don951]

Great job on the video. I have been salting steaks at least 45 minutes before cooking for years. Once you try it you will never go back. The flavor is better, the tenderness is better, and the outside sear is better. It just works. Cheers!

[@jimmorrison4457]

it's actually because he did a short term dry aging process to the 24 hour steak, been doing it for years. When I do a prime rib, i let it sit uncovered in the fridge for 3 days, works great

[@sebastiannock942]

My wife loves blue rare steak, but when she was pregnant she wasn't supposed to eat beef that rare (or so they say). Anyway after months of neither of us having steak, we were both like "this is stupid". Tried Sous vide, worked well. Then I learned about the dry aging/reverse sear method. Needless to say every couple of weeks we had 3 day aged steak and fell in love with it. Definitely a worthwhile endeavor for any beef lover, and super easy too.

[@thezfunk]

We wrap ours in cheese cloth. The salt tenderizes and pulls out moisture which allows for a better maillard reaction when seared.

[@vitaly6312]

Dry aged meat usually cooks a bit faster than not. When you’re salting it and putting it in the fridge, you’re doing a bit of dry aging for that steak. It wouldn’t really have any impact if you did it with a roast and then cut the steak from that roast, but individual steaks dry age very quickly. I typically cook to a lower temp when I cook dry aged meat or a steak that I’ve salted the day before. If I’m doing a sous video it’s probably 2-4 degrees lower before going and searing it.

[@chriseagle7231]

What kind of salt do you use?

[@peterrocan2542]

@@chriseagle7231 The salty kind.

[@Sushihunter250]

One thing I noticed that might throw the results off a bit: The 1 Day Salted Steak was put unwrapped into the fridge, while the other two were wrapped and pulled out the next day for cooking. I would think that would allow the outside of that steak to dry more than the others and thus increase the Millard Reaction to allow more browning of that steak over the other two. Perhaps you could re-do the experiment and put all three steaks on the wire rack over-night. Also, I recently saw a video that said to get the proper reaction from salting a steak, it must be allowed to rest for a minimum of 40 minutes before cooking, otherwise, you've just wasted the salt.

[@terryevans1976]

@@PizzaBoyHero Resting outside the fridge is not what he's talking about. A dry surface increases the millard reaction and what the post above was saying, and I agree with, is that the 24 hours uncovered vs covered caused a much drier surface and that is the difference in the steaks. A better test would have had all three steaks uncovered.

[@ThesexyMrX]

Ok so the resting outside the fridge is not to raise the internal temperature to above refrigerated? Good points op

[@troyjesse7833]

Yes, the better exercise would have been to salt all three steaks on the rack at the same time. Cook one after one minute, cook one after one hour, cook the last 24 hours later.

[@TimeConsumingInc]

Guys, you're missing the point. It wasn't about being 100 percent scientifically accurate: it was about what real people will usually do with their steaks and to just see which tastes better.

[@Win7ermu7e]

*Maillard.

[@BOOMER-rs5qn]

I always treat my meats with their seasoning, rubs, or marinades the day prior, and refrigerate overnight. It makes a huge difference in flavor and tenderness, especially on wild game.

[@Lexington101]

This video is 10 minutes longer than it needs to be.

[@joesandstrom4111]

But, then you can’t fit in as many ads and monetize as much. Ever wonder ‘why’ 1-3 minute videos are drawn out to the 10 minute mark? Now you know why...it’s more profitable.

[@renaissongsman]

Yup ... there are minimum time requirements for monetization, and ranking algos also tend to favor 10m vids over shorter ones ....

[@PeterMaleitzke]

Exactly.

[@Tom-uw2ok]

15 minutes too long.

[@ColonelSandersLite]

Yeah and the music loop gets really fuckin' annoying after a couple of mins.

[@L98fiero]

The cool part of this is I went to 13 minutes in, 1½ minute left, and learned to salt at least an hour before and preferably a day before.

[@jking83]

I did the same

[@captglasspac]

The best part to me was when I read this comment and skipped the video entirely.

[@azure6392]

good way to skip all the BS

[@pauldailey4477]

I had to search your comment.

[@craig328]

The best way to cook a NY Strip steak is to give it a dose of lime juice (both sides), season liberally with garlic powder and pepper 3-4 hours before you throw out the skillet, grow a pair of functioning testes and fire up a charcoal grill (preferably a Weber) using mesquite hardwood charcoal. Once the coals are ready, add a few chunks of mesquite wood around the edges (for smoke), add Lawry's Season Salt literally immediately as you put the meat onto the oiled grill, close the lid, go clean off the dish you brought the steak out on (3-4 mins), open the grill lid, flip the meat, salt it and reclose the lid for 3-4 mins. Use the second 3-4 mins to finish off your beer (or in my case, neat bourbon) and once the time has elapsed, pull the meat off the grill onto the newly cleaned plate and cover with foil for 5-10 mins before serving. The lime juice adds zero taste but does help to break down the muscle fiber some and since salt CAN dry meat out and since you're using it as flavoring and not as a long term preservative medium, you add it at the very end (zero reason to add it any earlier). Garlic powder and pepper are there just because they taste good and the mesquite charcoal and wood chunks give you that steakhouse smoked flavor. Try it this way once and then come back and thank me after.

[@rlewis9032]

We tried this method for the first time today. Only did the 1 hour, then added garlic pepper and onion powder about 30 minutes prior to grilling. OMG.. haven’t had a ribeye that delicious in quite some time. I’m sold.. you got me. Thanks for the info and happy grilling.

[@inthefade]

I really like the salt crystals on the surface, and pepper too. I would like to try seasoning for hours and then with kosher or fleur-de-sel right prior to cooking, but I wonder what the risk of over-salting is. I'd have to experiment with quantities. It's fascinating because I worked in a high(ish)-end French bistro for a year and sold thousands of steaks; The procedure was to take out the steaks and salt/pepper them as the appetizers were ordered, and usually cook them at least one hour, sometimes two hours later. I NEVER knew that this was making much of a difference or why I was doing it, and my sous-chef and the head chef never mentioned it so I doubt they did either. They were just doing it the way the original French chef from the 80s had been doing it-the guy who made the place famous. Some knowledge has been around for a long time, it just needs to be shared more widely.

[@cncaliguy09]

Doing this for years and 4 hours is sweet spot and 24hrs is usually the max. So sit the steak to defrost after breakfast. Dry pat and salted. By 4 hours it absorbs enough salt and evaporates enough air it dries out the surface moisture. This develops a better crust, taste better, and tender, and salts evenly. It gets better at 24 hours, the steak gets really solid and firm before cooking but IMO I don't like waiting that long, the difference is slight.

[@abijahalston]

Yes... I just started doing this... omg what a difference... I only dry brined for an hour... next time I will try for a day! Thanks for the vids!

[@mycosporum]

Great video. New suscriber. I once did a pork tomahawk with this dry brine method, although I used a rub of spices as well (I keep my salt and spices separated). Once it was ready, I cooked it on a charcoal grill with indirect heat at 400 °F, until it reached a core temperature of 138 °F, then rested it so carryover cooking rised the internal temperature all the way to 145 °F. At the end, I decided to sear it, although it was not necesary at all. If anything, it developed something between a steak crust and a BBQ bark. It was crunchy, smokey and delicious. Greetings from Sonora, México.

[@greenflagracing7067]

for ribeye: dry brine four hours before, reverse sear cooked to internal temp. of 100F (130F seems far too high), the taken off and blotted dry so the meat doesn't steam on the grill or frying pan. Then sear so that the exterior is very seared, final internal temp. around 120 - 125F, take off, let sit for another ten minutes as the internal temp. continues to rise. if this is on the grill, I'd add a handful of hickory smoke pellets directly on the briquets.

[@lisaamador8314]

I wasn't even looking for this video, but it was straight forward and informative without all the fluff. Thanks for this.

[@ssent1]

The result makes sense. It's conceptually the same as drying fruit. Removing excess water concentrates flavour. With less water, the heme is going to be more pronounced giving it a beefier, meatier taste. Plus, the salt has time to denature connective tissue making it more tender. Giving it more time with salt also allows for more dewatering by osmosis and hypertonicity. I love the fact that either the way the steaks are great, but it's great to get confirmation that salting in advance makes steaks even better.

[@platinumsky845]

This was actually disproven, A study was done on the moisture content of steak cooked with different methods, including dry brining, and they found the dry brine steaks have no less water in them than any other method. This is in part because the water that leaves The steak goes right back into it taking the salt with it, as well as the fact that the majority of moisture loss comes from the cooking and not from the brining process. It has more to do with the denaturing of proteins and the breakdown of muscle fibers like you mentioned (which are actually two different processes).

[@markwood5486]

Hi. That's why I don't get it when people put the steak under the faucet and wash off the salt. Isn't that just adding extra water into the steak? Creating a 'steaming affect."?

[@babajaiy8246]

@@platinumsky845 How do you know it's not the other way around - That the salt goes into the steak taking the moisture with it. The study does not show that. The study also does not show whether the moisture remains with the salt or disperses back into the meat. So no it has not been disproven because although as a whole there may be the same total water content - The end result of how the food tastes is different, not just saltier. That would be like saying food would still taste the same if you combined your main course, salad and desert into one big slurry and expect the taste and experience to be the same when you eat it. The same applies here with the salting, it definitely has an end result that is different and not just because of the seasoning taste of salt itself. "This is in part because the water that leaves The steak goes right back into it taking the salt with it," Not really, I just salted a pork chop the other night about a half hour before I cooked it. The salt had visibly drawn out water to the surface where it began to pool and I blotted it off with paper towel. So in the end, the salt did work to take out the moisture in my meat.

[@babajaiy8246]

@@markwood5486 Steak is flesh, it's not a sponge that's going absorb the water that quickly.

[@swinkmibby]

@@platinumsky845 when you dry age anything it drops in weight

[@kenasaoka888]

Such a great comparison video! I used to dry brine(salting) over night in the fridge often. When I succeed the dry brine properly, the finished product is far superior than "salted one minute before steak" However, I failed couple times because I over salted and made the steak super salty and dry as a cardboard. After those couple failures, I stopped dry brining it. But when I watched your video, I wanna do that again.

[@monetbeck7015]

Can a bitch get a scallop up in this house?

[@conradkappel9426]

I agree 100% with the results of your test. The only thing I would add is that the process of salting draws some of the juices out of the meat. If the steak is allowed to sit for an hour or overnight (my favorite), the extracted juices are allowed to retract back into the steak. Salting just before cooking lets the extracted juices cook off into the pan (or other cooking medium) thereby making the steak less juicy, less tender and less tasty. I'm amazed at how many good cooks don't know this. Good work!

[@jordanthomaswall]

Steak 1: “great steak” Steak 2: “great steak” Steak 3: “great steak” Fantastic analysis lol

[@CenobiteBeldar]

Your comment needs to be highlighted. Lmfao

[@jrthemaverick2361]

Obviously he is a meatetarian!! I’m sure I would say the same thing as i slam back the steaks.

[@davidrishtakov1]

Hilarious

[@yeliabnoj]

It probably taste the same. Guy's a goon.

[@MapleJames76]

Lmao considering its all subjective opinions...

[@severoon]

It's expected that the 1 day steak will be more tender and have a thicker band of well done meat under the crust. It's more tender because a thicker layer of meat effectively brined when the juices mixed with the salt. The band of meat under the crust got done more quickly in the pan because it was dehydrated more…the salt pulled additional moisture out of that band of meat. That's water that doesn't have to boil into steam during searing before the meat can go above the boiling point.

[@josephefasciani7343]

Excellent insights for which I thank you, and will pay more attention to my steaks in future!

[@dcgregorya5434]

That's right. Just like brining a pork chop.

[@windyruss]

I was told by an Italian Chef that I should always oil my steaks before salting them so that the the salt doesn't draw any moisture from the meat but helps create a great crust. You may intensify the flavour but you will dry the steak out too.

[@Abelhawk]

That’s true if you season it within a half hour or so of cooking it, but after the salt draws the moisture out of the meat, it dissolves and then is absorbed back in, so no moisture is lost as long as you get past that point.

[@paulruth83]

I have been retired for one year now and have since been learning more and more on how to improve my cooking/grilling skills. I just discovered your channel today,where have you been lol, and like your style and have hit the like, subscribed along with the notification bell. I learned something today, always a good thing.

[@Redmeatlover]

Thank you for the nice comment, much appreciated and glad we can help you along your journey, cook on! 🤟

[@markgigiel2722]

I'm retired too and love to cook and grill and learn. The problem is, my 3 sons moved away and If I'm going to a lot of trouble, I like to cook a large amount to make it worth the effort. My wife and I don't eat a lot. So, I only show off on holidays.

[@xmachine7003]

@@smokeystriper ditch the carbs. More steak. Waist will shrink.

[@EricDeibler]

OK. My issue is that you’re introducing more than one variable. There’s the salting time. But then you add in to that the 24 hour steak is in the fridge, presumably with free-circulating air, oh so subtly dry-aging the outer portion of the steak. Secondly you clearly indicate that the last steak, ie. The somewhat dry-aged one, is also thicker than the other two... When doing a compare, the most important thing is to keep variables to a minimum and, to the best of your ability, to account for said variables. Don’t get me wrong. You’re doing a great job. I’m just trying to help you get more consistent results.

[@Jamie-gw9gu]

No, he really isn't.

[@Traveler2112]

Salt the steak. Put on a rack in the fridge for 24-30 hours or so. I like butter, crushed garlic and rosemary at the end. Soooo good! Great vid!

[@snafu6548]

Gave you a thumbs up for the show! Alton Brown did a Good Eats show explaining salts effect on meat. And in his Good Eats norm, it went to the molecular level of how it breaks down proteins to provide a better meet.

[@alantrumbly2992]

Meat

[@karlbork6039]

Once I forgot I had steaks on the grill. They had been on the grill for at least 10 minutes without being turned. To my surprise they were incredible. Since then I never flip my strip steaks.

[@HtriZzy_]

Dry brining has been my go to method ever since discovering it. It works extremely well for thicker steaks.

[@TheMrAHead]

I always salt my steaks ahead of time. at least 15 minutes per quarter inch of thickness to give it time to soak in and help tenderize also.

[@miscfutv430]

The reason the last steak has a noticeably thicker sear is because the surface is much drier due to the refrigerator- not the salt. But, it's a win 2-fold, the air causes the steak to concentrate the salty-moisture towards it's center, and makes the outside dried- resulting in a more consistent and better sear. So the steak comes out more tender, juicy, and seared better. So yeah, if you invest money into a nice steak- invest some time too! It'll be worth it!

[@btan3495]

The steaks all spent the same amount of time in the fridge.

[@wadewells808]

We had steaks tonight. Maybe KZbin is spying on us, but low and behold, here's your video out of the blue on my front page. So I watched and naturally, I had to subscribe! I picked up two points. Reverse searing is the way to go for thicker steaks, and two ... I'm not using nearly enough salt (I also use garlic powder). Nice experiment, appreciate you sharing.

[@stevetarrant3898]

I've never managed to own a steak for 24 hours.

[@monicatague4444]

😂

[@joaquimioakim229]

😂

[@user-vb9lm5ef6c]

Funny comment, but it tells me you don't buy enough steak.

[@robertramzanali3524]

@@user-vb9lm5ef6cexactly. I buy like 10 at a time 😂

[@trevorf1838]

@@user-vb9lm5ef6c You might be on to something..... I'm about to walk down a slippery slope of meats and smokers.

[@rgosmond1]

Interesting! I'm having tenderloins for dinner and had them sitting in the fridge unsalted until I watched this video. I just went and salted and seasoned them and put them back in the fridge. Four hours to cook time so I get to try out this pre-seasoning technique. I might even post sear them for good measure. Thanks for the tips! Worst part of watching was seeing you taste each steak.

[@dora.linhares5580]

how did it come out?

[@paulschwartz2464]

I've started seasoning my steaks right when I take them out to warm up to room temp - about an hour, give or take. Glad to see my method is sound. Thanks for the experiment!

[@uvraise]

I've been salting my red meats for over 30 years. Two hours on the counter in a heavy coat of kosher salt, rinse, pat dry, season grill to sear, complete in the oven. Great every time! Keep up the good work! RML, If you want a great grill recipe for an eye roast on the grill, reply to this comment!

[@Redmeatlover]

Sure, John!

[@tulipboysillygoose]

I’m game for this recipe!

[@tomwalsh2468]

Sounds good.

[@deplorablehope7016]

Would love ayour grill recipe for eye roast!

[@azsensible4738]

Count me in!

[@BlackOni]

Pretty glad you liked the 24 hour method. I've been sticking to that as much as I can whenever cooking steaks and I've even noticed the big difference in flavor impact throughout the steak for years. My most recent steak was only 1 hour, but like you said, that 1 hour makes an enormous difference. Cheers!

[@randyr6610]

I sometimes put my favorite rub the day before and set it in the forage for twenty four hours, always comes out good. Awesome video everyone should watch this video.

[@michaelleberman4656]

I like to to take my steaks off at 120-125 degrees and let them rise to 130 when they are resting. I also think pan searing should be done prior to oven cooking, so as to seal in all of the juices in the meat. If you oven cook first, a lot of the natural juices run out. The 1 day salting is for more than flavor, it draws the surface moisture out of the meat so you can get a better bark when searing. I also didn't hear you discuss resting the meat after cooking. That is such an important part of cooking meat. It allows all of the juices to disperse back into the meat, so when you cut into it all of the juice doesn't run out onto the plate.

[@edlauren9434]

I just realized that when you got to 1 hour steak testing I was already drooling ...:) on my way to butcher shop!

[@vendomnu]

Pavlov is smiling somewhere in heaven.

[@edlauren9434]

Dude, conditioned and non-conditioned reflexes ..it’s not about me! I love steaks with me whole heart! :)

[@RespekfulFungus]

12 to 24 hours is amazing. I’ve got my strips in my fridge right now for dinner tomorrow, can’t wait!

[@crtune]

This should wind up being like brining. It denatures the exterior flesh of the meat, thus preventing the liquid from running out or evaporating during cooking. You can think of meat muscle tissue as being cords or ropes all laid in a direction. When exposed to a salt water brine, or to salt, the very outside of these fibers now TANGLE up and thus are "denatured". This creates a sort of barrier against the flow outward of internal meat liquids. That's what Cooks Illustrated seems to say about this kind of thing (their brining Turkey for Thanksgiving article). With greater retained liquid we get a more "tender" mouth feel as we eat.

[@harpoon_bakery162]

some cooks denounce salting too soon because they say the juices get out..

[@douglasstrother6584]

SCIENCE!

[@WardvanKoperen]

@@harpoon_bakery162 They are wrong.

[@paris8132]

@@WardvanKoperen Well, not really. It is a two step process. What actually happens, and you can easily verify this at home, is that in the first minutes, juices start getting pulled out of the steak as osmotic pressure starts pulling liquids towards the salt. Then, these juices get pulled back in the steak in the second phase because the interior has a smaller concentration of salt. This is why it is preferable to let the steak sit on a flat surface rather than a rack if you decide to salt a day before as some of the juices would drip off the meat and never get pulled back in.

[@The.Ghost.of.Tom.Joad.]

Salting and letting the meat sit overnight is technically called "dry brining." Does the same thing but with less mess. I've been doing this for years after stumbling upon another KZbin vlogger called Meathead from the site AmazingRibs,com.

[@armandocervantes1658]

What we are testing here, is the way salt acts as a tenderizer, for a cut of beef. Salt (sodium) brings out the flavor in food, and tenderizes meat, the longer it is on it. Have you not heard of meat tenderizer (monosodium glutamate) for meat? It is sold under the brand name, ACCENT. Monosodium Glutamate is that unpopular chemical that is used on Chinese food (take out) mostly. Recently, it has been politically incorrect, to use it. But sodium is used to preserve, tenderize, and bring out the flavor in foods. This video actually proved this... he noted that the last steak, was more tender, than the other ones. The lesson here: Salt your meat, long before you cook it. In other words.... marinate your steaks.

[@akaiser94]

What you are trying to do here, is sound smart. You haven't got the idea at all. Salt does not tenderize.

[@MarkGardner66Bonnie]

First time viewer, great presentation...you had me at having a beer and talking conspiracy theories... but watching the color change and texture was interesting. I always try to let my dinner come to room temp and season it for about an hour before putting it on the grill. This was good. Thank you.

[@LtTroy]

I agree with a lot of the comments, me specifically I wasn't even looking for food. This salt idea came up in conversation the other day and your title was spot on for sparking my interest and i watched the entire video not realizing 14 minutes just passed by. Great video! Great test! Will be trying and recommending this video to people in my future conversations! :)

[@Redmeatlover]

Thanks for your comment and very nice feedback. Sharing our content is the very best compliment we can receive, thank you!

[@ryanddowns3375]

Me, too!

[@gecko4310]

Hmmm. The 1 minute and 1 hr steaks were not exposed to open cold air for 1 day. You are changing two factors - salt content and open to cold air. The other two steaks should have been open to cold air for 24hrs as well. The drying process may intensify flavour

[@dreamingtree6093]

I noticed that too.

[@panchortmanchort2400]

Gangstas!

[@TheDaoistheway]

He said they are all In the refrigerator for 1 day

[@A4rings110]

@@TheDaoistheway yes, all in the refrigerator but the 1 day salted was not covered, while the other two were wrapped up.

[@marksaake]

Completely agree. He did a short "dry-age" on the first steak, so more moisture evaporated from the meat and the flavor became more concentrated.

[@moltitrader]

14.5 minutes. Really. Your putting us off man. Straight facts/review/results. No bxxxshit. Hope you make great videos in the future. Looking forward

[@Freidenker888]

The best frying fat for steaks is beef tallow. It has an optimal fatty acid profile, is very nutritious and has a delicious beef taste.

[@clownsleftjokersright7027]

Smoked tallow!

[@davidmiller532]

My father always litely salted the steaks two days prior,the evening before cooking roughly six hours let it sit outside the frig. Awesome Everytime. People who unthaw a steak,season and toss it on a grill or oven grill ,pan are wasting good meat imo. That's what many restaurants do so people are kind of used to it. I recall a few years ago I purchased some frozen New York cuts and accidentally left them in my trunk,don't laugh,I realized two days later they were in there and they were awesome. As far as salt just lightly use some garlic salt you purchase,add alittle pepper,let sit for four or so hours. Toss into frig overnight,two hours prior to cooking remove and let sit,then broil high heat. And yes I cooked steaks at a five star restaurant for four years,I solely cooked salmon and steaks. 😉

[@Ilethsamael]

awesome suggestions! Do you know if any tips would work with pork steaks?

[@Yourewrongthough87]

You're lying, 5star restaurants do not let steaks sit outside of fridge for that long, prove me wrong.

[@davidmiller532]

@@Yourewrongthough87 I do personally.

[@thomaslambert6007]

@@Yourewrongthough87 humidity cribs speed up the warming process. 5-star restaurants have to follow food safety laws which may not result in the best cooking methods.

[@roninemdub7403]

People who "un thaw" steaks are freezing them...just saying.

[@DelmarvaBackyard]

Great video. Loved the detail and concept. Thanks for sharing.

[@cedcampbell47012]

I learned something new. I was always under the impression that salting meat before cooking it made it tougher. Great video. New Sub.

[@jamesmerritt5562]

same.

[@aaroncohenour559]

I did lamb steaks in Montreal seasoning overnight. It was yummy and I ate both of them. They were great steaks, absolutely fantastic!!!

[@nathanmcleod9497]

You should try goat 🤢

[@davidsonnow]

aaron cohenour Lamb is not steak dummy

[@robertp881]

As an American and a huge fan of steaks, I can honestly say that this has truly been a video.

[@jandk198]

Great video. I really enjoy the scientific approach to cooking. The only thing I'd do differently is to cook a steak that wasn't salted. That would answer the question of whether or not leaving the steak in the fridge uncovered is responsible for any differences.

[@ew3612]

leaving meat uncovered in the fridge for a day will dry it out which contributed to the changed colour of his first one. I have not done a side by side so im assuming that the salt changed the colour too.

[@ew3612]

leaving meat uncovered in the fridge for a day will dry it out which contributed to the changed colour of his first one. I have not done a side by side so im assuming that the salt changed the colour too.

[@antoniolabayen8288]

I was taught to marinate overnight or at least 30-60 minutes before. Thanks for the comparison. The Italian Chef Marcella Hazan says not to be afraid of using salt and to use it not for the salty flavor, but to bring out the flavor of the food, thus you see the moisture coming out of the steak while marinating. The steak that was salted just before cooking had some surface spice taste. Here's a thought. For the marinated steaks, sprinkle some spice just before cooking and you'll get the best of both worlds, inside and outside taste!

[@StaffandStormcloud]

LOVE the music in the background!!! I was moshing around my house listening to it while I was watching!!!!!

[@bayareadoghouse]

The Shiner Bock gives this man immediate credibility!

[@FallinJestyr]

Texas for the win!

[@KonsuiKoyojutsu]

As soon as I seen then Shiner I subscribed.

[@dr3754]

absolutely. i saw the shiner bock and i knew right away this guy had the bonafides.

[@UrbanOutcasK]

Nice. I've been doing this for a few years. I thought it was common knowledge :)

[@nightshift6286]

You had me very anxiously waiting to see what you thought of the taste. I will definitely start salting more than one minute before which is how I've always done it.

[@gsansoucie]

Why the hell did I watch this at night? Now I’m hungry,

[@estranged85]

same lol, 02:33 at night

[@charity9660]

Starving basically. Bout to go cook if i don’t stop watching videos

[@dazren7988]

That moment you realise the effect this channel has on your love of meat when you realise you can no longer watch during work hours, in fear of possibly drooling without realising it.

[@txblueh]

Covering the steak in kosher salt or pink Himalayan salt, and letting it sit uncovered in the refrigerator is called dry brining! We do it with our meats before smoking. The salt acts as a meat tenderizer and keeps the meat from drying out during cooking (extra juicy). Kosher/pink Himalayan salts are used because they are not as salty as table salt.

[@txblueh]

The salt breaks down the callogen.

[@chemicalmike646]

8:42 And now its time for my favourite part. (Obviously, like most KZbin vids,this is where the advert kicks in.)

[@tymarq07]

I do mine a day ahead, on the rack in the fridge uncovered... not only does it taste better it's more tender.

[@richwilson7619]

I need a bigger frig I guess.

[@dennyadams1002]

I

[@otcprepper645]

I always try to age my steaks a couple weeks then while bringing them to room temperature I add the seasons... with the kosher salt I add black pepper and garlic powder... makes for really happy steaks!

[@K2SKIER112]

24 hours uncovered in the fridge is dry brining. Do it, every time

[@KYsYooToob]

Is there a reason not to wet brine?

[@supermills03]

@@KYsYooToob Dry brine does everything you want a wet brine to do, but doesn't oversaturate the meat or wash out any meat flavor, this is true with beef, chicken or pork.

[@estranged85]

@@supermills03 thanks for the tips.

[@K2SKIER112]

@Logan Waltz I hope you reverse sear, if not, that's steak abuse. Oh, and try dry brining overnight, it makes a difference. Especially on tough 'Top" cuts.

[@jamierichardson7683]

On a rack so both sides are dry. Instant sear, no steam.

[@preachwins1500]

I already commented halfway through but after finishing I really have to say....man this is really well produced. Outstanding.

[@NebFan06]

About 4 years back, I bought a prime rib from a meat shop. The guy behind the counter recommended that I season it and let it "dry age" in the fridge for a week prior to cooking. It was by far the best prime rib I have ever experienced.

[@YoniNadi]

A few minutes ago; I salted my four pieces of lion of lamb @10:25 pm. I’m going to cook them in my induction frying pan sometime early tomorrow afternoon ; and see if I can taste the difference as compared to salting them a few minutes before cooking them!

[@robinali2857]

Lion?? hahahah

[@steampower9990]

Starting with a good dry surface of the meat in the pan will greatly increase the sear in my experience at any rate

[@Stovetopcookie]

Going to try your method with an hour salting and oven. Thanks for publishing this video.

[@lanhamjr]

Man, I am so glad I found your channel. Trying the reverse sear method for the 1st time. I have typically been salting and letting the meat sit for many hours but I'll have to try at a full day the next round of steaks.

[@calm1047]

The salt draw out some of the moisture from the outer layer of the steak and creates a seal locking in the moisture. Less moisture escapes the steak when it's cooked.

[@AlfredoPachecoJr]

I was waiting for him to bring in his cousin Sean Evans to give the meat a bit of kick. I swear it took me a while to find out who he reminded me of.

[@kevinking1750]

I'm not sure where I picked it up, seasoning my steaks a day before cooking, but I've been doing this for years. That little bit for prep goes a long way in putting love into the food!

[@lsodano9258]

Unfortunately, many of these “experiments” is that the meat is not treated the same. All three pieces need to placed on the rack and aged in the fridge for the same time. Then salt in the different methods. Otherwise, the “dry aging” of the first steak is a treatment not applied to the other steaks. In other word, you are unable to separate the effects of salting from dry aging.

[@lannylippold1461]

Your theory is correct but if one doesn’t have time to salt a day ahead, then one probably doesn’t have time to just put it in the fridge for 1 day to dry age. This experiment is more of a real world experiment.

[@brandoncarter6515]

I believe you are confusing dry aging with a salt brine the salt a steak a day ahead is an old technique used by chefs for years

[@tommartin2360]

Additionally, the test test should be 'blind' as the sub cognitive expectations will very likely influence your taste analysis if the differences are subtle.

[@BigLob2]

Excellent observation.

[@Stationary76]

@@tommartin2360 I agree with this 100%

[@stephenduplantier2151]

Good work. Suggestion: don’t use seed oil, especially not canola, and lose the music.

[@jsams3712]

Glad I found your video. I only had some T-bone steaks and I salted them this morning before work. 10 hours later, I wasn't sure if I should wipe off all the salt and re-season or just use what was still on from this morning. Well, I ended up wiping just a little off and added black pepper...Mind you, my steaks were only like 1-1/2 inches. Thanks for teaching me the reverse sear!

[@mikekreen9336]

Two things. Mr. Gordon Ramsey suggests that you do not pre salt a steak as the moisture is drawn away from its center. Second thing is, why not cook a steak without any salt for comparison as well?

[@nasoj21]

Just stumbled across this. Great test. I have never done a side x side. The one thing I have noticed about doing 24hrs is that you need to sear the sides as well as the top bottom otherwise that harder rubber texture stays. Have you been doing more salting since this? Have you noticed what I did?

[@aceuksy]

The production value of these videos is way higher than I was expecting

[@wnevermind2292]

This guy actually tried to create consistency by measuring out the amount of salt and then sprinkled it on the steak which created inconsistency because only part of the salt landed on the steak

[@davidhodges8696]

clearly you've never seasoned meat before

[@dylanwade7487]

thought the same fuckin thing

[@wnevermind2292]

@@davidhodges8696 id say you probably have much more experience with meat than i.