Salting and Resting Steaks before Hot Tubbing...

LFGEnergy

Greetings on a beautiful Sat. in DFW!!!

Friend at work recommended covering steak with heavy layer of kosher salt and then letting steaks rest on counter an hour or more before cooking. I salt the steaks, let rest, and then rinse all salt off and pat dry before hot tubbing and finishing on Egg. Have now done it twice, and family saying these are my best steaks ever. Both cooks were choice, not prime, and not my dry aged meat.

From internet I see the salt pulls moisture out of the steak. Also, even using salt probably provides some flavor, as I typically use none when I cook. I am always afraid of over salting food...

Anyway, wondering if anyone else uses this method. Not an expert on what is happening, but family sure impressed.

AZRP

I put pepper and a heavy coat of kosher salt on my steaks before hottubbing and they come out fantastic. -RP

Little Steven

Dave,

In French and other European cooking meat is salted heavily for long periods (sometimes 72 hours) prior to cooking. Some moisture is drawn out but a more concentrated liquid is drawn back in to the meat. There is a tenderizing effect too.

Steve

LFGEnergy

Thanks for explanation! Also, now want to try where you cook a roast in a salt crust....

Little Chef

LFGEnergy: Here is a link to a salt crusted roast I posted here a while back. Very easy cook, and great results. Kosher salt + egg whites. The link will explain more. Enjoy!

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=756720&catid=1

As a note, I will pull about 117-118* next time, as we like our beef a bit more med-rare than this. 122* was a tad too high IMO. The salt really retained the heat.

thirdeye

Check out The Steamy Kitchen article on salting, it's quite helpful and includes some cool drawings.

http://steamykitchen.com/163-how-to-turn-cheap-choice-steaks-into-gucci-prime-steaks.html

LFGEnergy

Great minds!!! I had found same article and was about to post link. It is a VERY interesting read.

Thanks!

LFGEnergy

Excellent! I have an aged ribeye roast in fridge that will fit the bill nicely!!

Thank you!

Judy Mayberry

That is a GREAT website! Thanks, thirdeye.

And the link to Drybagging...It was fascinating, since Ron posts about it a lot and I didn't understand the whole process. Now I do.

Judy in San Diego

fishlessman

ive only doe fish is a salt crust, what ive learned is that you actually NEED to salt the fish before the salt crust, might be the same for the roast. dont be afraid of the salt crust