How to Dry Brine Steak - Fed & Fit (2024)

FAQs

How to Dry Brine Steak - Fed & Fit? ›

One of the best things about dry brining steaks is that it's a really quick process. Salt your steaks, let them sit for 30 minutes, then get to cooking — quick and easy! Note: If you're prepping these well before mealtime, you can salt then refrigerate for up to 4 hours before cooking.

Since there is salt, the steak will dry and become closer to jerky if left for too long. I learned this the hard way. I like to dry brine my 1-½ inch steak for about 3 days. In those days, you see the steak go from a bright red to a deep red.

Don't Rinse It Off

Once the dry-brining waiting period is up, there is no need to rinse off the surface of your food. The meat will not be overly salty, and rinsing the surface with water will undo all of the surface-drying achieved by the dry-brine process. That, in turn, will prevent browning.

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.

Benefits of Dry Brining

Enhances flavor - Dry brining deeply seasons the meat for a more pronounced savory taste. The salt penetrates further than just the surface. Improves tenderness - The salt breaks down some muscle fibers and connective tissue to make the meat more tender.

You do not need to add extra seasoning when dry brining your steak. It is seasoned and ready to cook. Once climatized, cook your steak to the proper temp using your desired method. Download the Omaha Steaks app for an easy-to-use steak cooking timer and use our steak doneness guide to cook to your desired doneness.

There are some places online saying that a longer dry brine will promote the same results. This hasn't been the case with many people that have tried it for themselves. Keeping it for too long makes it chewier, stiffer, and decreases the yield.

(Note, you can also do this with a salt based seasoning blend like our Ultimate Steak and Roast Rub) Let the meat sit at room temperature for 15 minutes – an hour, or in the refrigerator for 1 hour – 2 hours. The salt will be sucked into the meat, and moisture will be drawn to the surface of the meat.

What is the ratio of sugar to salt in dry brine? ›

Tips and Tricks to Dry Brining

Most prefer Diamond Crystal; however, Windsor and Morton are both acceptable as well. If you do not have kosher salt, you can make do with coarse sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, just be careful because the finer/smaller the salt crystal, the more salty the food will be.

We've tried both methods, and although a dry brine is better than no brine, I would go with a wet brine every single time! You can also brine a whole chicken for amazing flavor.

You can pat your steak dry all that you want to, but the natural juices are going to form on the exterior of your steak. By dry brining, the salt actually creates a barrier that doesn't allow more moisture in or out.

Meat could be stored in the brine and packed tightly in covered jars or casks in a cool environment for months.

How long to brine your chicken depends on what kind of chicken you're using. For skinless breasts, brine for two hours. For bone-in pieces, brine for four hours. For whole chickens, brine for at least four hours or up to overnight.

You absolutely can dry brine too long to the point of forming a very dry leathery pellicle. It's for this reason you can't really dry age single steaks because there's isn't much left after cutting away all the dry moldy crust. Dry brining just becomes salty dry aging at a certain point.

Also, for whole poultry, add some salt below the skin to ensure that more than the skin is dry brined, this can also speed up the dry brining process. Place your salted food onto a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Airflow around the food is incredibly important to allow the surface to dry out.

Refrigerate, uncovered, to dry-brine for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour (any shorter and the osmotic brining process won't complete; any longer and you'll end up with deli meat).