Here's What Happens When You Dry Brine Steak (2024)

FAQs

Here's What Happens When You Dry Brine Steak? ›

Dry-brining is our preferred method for seasoning both large and small pieces of meat, poultry, and sometimes even seafood. Along with producing juicy, flavorful results, dry-brining also helps us get better Maillard browning and crispy skin.

Dry-brining is our preferred method for seasoning both large and small pieces of meat, poultry, and sometimes even seafood. Along with producing juicy, flavorful results, dry-brining also helps us get better Maillard browning and crispy skin.

Remember, we are not aging but dry brining. Since there is salt, the steak will dry and become closer to jerky if left for too long.

Dry Brining Works Better

Because the food is immersed in a relatively large amount of brine, the amounts of salt and moisture absorbed can't be measured. Time provides some check on the process, but it's imprecise. Therefore, wet brining can lead to over-seasoning and diluted flavors.

You can choose to use a seasoning blend, make your own, or salt-then-season. Just remember to omit salt from the seasonings you are using after you pre-salt or dry brine. If you choose to add seasoning when you dry brine, start with the salt on your food. Then you can add the other flavors on top.

It will tenderize and flavor the meat and will also help to dry the exterior of the steak and help create a much darker color steak as well as help form a superior crust when searing. Due to the dry exterior, the meat will take a sear much better than if it has any moisture on it.

You can even dry-brine meat in a resealable plastic bag, making it a convenient option for your home cooking.

The best salt for dry brining is kosher salt because it sticks the best and distributes evenly. Coarse sea salt will also work, though, if you have it handy. Steer clear of fine sea salt or regular table salt — if it's all you have, it'll work, but you'll need to cut the recommended amount in half.

"Most microbes shrivel and die when exposed to salt." He offered estimations for how long to brine whatever you might be cooking: Chicken and pork for 24 hours, steak for two days, turkey for two to three days, and fish for up to an hour. These estimations are more based on flavor than they are on food safety, though.

Do I rinse off a dry brine? ›

No need to rinse.

Unlike a wet brine, you don't need to rinse dry brine off of the turkey, saving you a messy step.

NO, you should not use more salt than you usually would. Season it as though it were right about to hit the grill. IF YOU PUT A TON OF SALT ON YOUR STEAK, IT WILL BE SALTY! Just use as much salt as you normally would add to a steak, and do not rinse the steak before cooking.

(A dry brine is a good choice if you're short on fridge space.) Mix the butter, parsley, sage, thyme, 1 teaspoon pepper, the paprika and cloves until combined. Reserve 4 tablespoons of the butter, then rub the rest under the turkey skin on the breasts and legs.

The first step of dry brining is identical to salting: the cook spreads a thin layer of salt over both sides of a steak. The difference lies in time. Dry brined steaks are left to sit for 45 minutes to 48 hours before being cooked.

Transfer the turkey to a wire cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered 12-24 hours. Lopez-Alt says you can dry brine a turkey for 2-3 days and the meat will be even juicier and more flavorful, but wrap it in plastic wrap before refrigerating so as not to excessively dry out the surface.

Some dry-brine recipes call for adding white or brown sugar to the salt. It's not totally necessary, but it will infuse the meat with a little sweetness and help the skin turn golden in the oven.

The bottom line is that wet brining tends to work best for relatively lean meats like chicken breasts, turkey breasts, pork loin, and fish. In general, wet brine delicate foods that cook pretty quickly. For everything else, including most tough meats and roasts that take longer to cook, dry brining is the way to go.

Dry brining does not preserve meat.

Large cuts of salted meat that rest for more than 1 hour must be refrigerated below 40°F. Small cuts like steaks and chops that rest for 1 hour can do so at room temperature before cooking. Poultry should always be rested in the refrigerator for food safety.

Curing is also sometimes called "dry brining," and brining is sometimes called "wet curing," just to make things even more confusing. But brining is what most home cooks are going to be doing more regularly, and curing is a technique often used for more specific applications.

You'll want to pat them dry with a paper towel again to wipe away juices and moisture from the salt. The steaks may look a little dry, but that's just the surface of the steaks. The dry surface will form a crispy brown crust after grilling. You can then season the steaks with some black pepper right before grilling.