Shoutout to the guy who told me to salt my steaks 24 hours ahead, not 40 minutes

I always did the standard 40 minute salt before grilling. Then a butcher at my local shop in Austin said I was doing it all wrong. He told me to salt them a full day before and leave them uncovered in the fridge. Tried it last weekend with a couple ribeyes and the crust was way better, the inside was more tender too. But here's the debate: some people say overnight drying ruins the texture. Has anyone else done a side by side test with different salting times?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese_bell1mo ago

Gotta push back on this a little, @dylanwilliams. I did a side by side with two NY strips - one salted 24 hours, one salted right before cooking (like 15 minutes before hitting the pan). The 24 hour one had a better crust, sure, but the inside was noticeably drier and almost mealy in spots. The quick-salt one was juicier and had a more even texture throughout. Maybe it's a thickness thing, but for my money, 40 minutes to an hour gives you that nice crust without sacrificing moisture. I'll take a slightly less perfect sear over a dry steak any day.

dylanwilliams1mo ago

I read somewhere that Kenji from Serious Eats did a test and found 24 hours was the sweet spot for thick cuts. I'd bet that butcher knows what he's talking about, Austin's got good meat game.