By Chef David “Smitty” Smith ·
Seasoning steaks sounds pretty simple and straight forward, right? Well, it is – sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper and cook for … how long? Although it is how long into the cooking process to season the steak that generates most of the controversy, even sprinkling the steak with salt and pepper is argued about.
The main issue with sprinkling a steak with salt and pepper is that the pepper can burn and impart a burnt and bitter taste to the steak. How do you overcome that problem? By simply waiting to sprinkle the pepper on after the steak is cooked.
Personally, I haven’t really had too many problems with bitter-tasting steaks unless I use extremely course ground pepper that has some big chunks in it. I prefer to use a grinder that does grind a little finer and I do season with pepper before cooking. I only mention that point because I have had some pretty lengthy conversations with a few other chefs over the years that I thought were just looking for some reason to argue.
The more interesting question is: How long into the cooking process do you wait before seasoning a steak?
There are two thoughts when it comes to the timing of seasoning steaks. The first answer is to season the steaks anywhere from 4 to 24 hours ahead of cooking. The second answer is to season just before cooking.
I’ve cooked all over the country with some great chefs and I have to say that it’s a toss up. While doing my apprenticeship, we would season the steaks a day ahead of time, let them sit in the refrigerator overnight, bring them to room temperature for half an hour and then cook them. That also was the case when working the Memorial Golf Tournament in Ohio. However, that was for parties when we knew we needed a certain number of steaks. We would keep a number of steaks pre-seasoned and if we ran out we would season to order. Neither chefs wanted steaks seasoned more than 24 hours ahead. In most kitchens, the seasoning went on just before cooking. What’s the difference?
Some chefs believe that salting in advance will draw out the moisture from the steak and result in dry meat. They believe the steak should always be seasoned just before cooking. On the flip side are the chefs that believe salting 4 to 24 hours before cooking will do two things. First, the salt will draw a little moisture out of the steak, but then after it sits for a while and the salt dissolves, the juice gets re-absorbed into the meat imparting a lot more flavor. Second, the salt in the meat will act to break down the fibers resulting in a more tender steak.
One thing you’ll notice is that there is no mention of seasoning between the 30 minutes before cooking when the meat is removed from the refrigerator to come to room temperature and the 4-hour mark before cooking. I think that is the zone when salting will work against you. It will draw moisture out without enough time for it to be re-absorbed. Will it ruin your steak? It may make a little difference, noticeable or not, but it will ruin your day as you now have to drop everything and spend time seasoning before you’re even close to cooking.
Where do I stand? If I know I’m going to cook steaks tomorrow, I’ll season them the night before while I’m already in the kitchen finishing the dishes or whatever. I do think it gives a little more flavor to the steak. Is it the correct way to do it? Of course, this is my column.
Really, I think it is more of a matter of convenience. If you have the time the night before, I would suggest it but if not, season just before you cook. Just be sure to take the steaks out of the refrigerator at least a half hour before cooking and if there is juice on the surface of the steak, use a paper towel to blot it off before cooking so the steak can sear properly. Sear over high heat on both sides and even turn the steaks on edge to sear if it is a thick cut. Enjoy.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. He has been a chef for PGA’s Memorial Tournament for more than 15 years and ran the main kitchen at the World Games. For more information and archived copies of Stir it Up, visit chefsmitty.com. Smitty welcomes questions and comments at smitty@chefsmitty.com, tmmsmitty@gmail.com or (530) 412-3598.
