My buddy's simple trick for tenderizing meat with salt blew my mind

He just salts it early and lets it sit. The difference in texture is INSANE.

3 comments

3 Comments

Hold on, your buddy might be overdoing it. Salting way too early can actually toughen some cuts instead of helping them. You want like an hour before for steaks, maybe a day for a big roast. The timing really matters.

young.nathan3d ago

Nah, I gotta completely disagree with @shah.zara on this one. Salting super early is almost always better in my experience. That whole "it toughens meat" thing is a myth for most home cooks. For a big cheap cut like a pork shoulder or a chuck roast, salting it two days ahead lets that salt really get deep inside. It seasons the whole thing, not just the surface. Even for steaks, salting the night before gives you a better crust and way more flavor throughout. More time just means more good flavor.

gonzalez.iris3d ago

@shah.zara, that idea about early salting making meat tough is just wrong. Salt needs hours to really get inside the meat. I always salt my steaks the night before and they come out juicy and full of flavor. The salt pulls out some moisture at first, but then the meat soaks it all back up. This means the seasoning goes deep, not just on the outside. Waiting only an hour before cooking gives you a bland piece of meat with a salty crust.