Time needed to salt or season meat

[Scott P.]

I remember reading an article out there on the ol' interwebs about when to salt meat before grilling. Basically, it said that salting the meat and letting it sit before grilling resulted in better flavor than salting/seasoning right before grilling or right after grilling (that one is obvious). My question is how long before grilling can or should meat be seasoned before hitting the grill? Do factors such as cut, size, meat type beef, lamb, pork, etc) also come into play? There is an old grilling myth/wive's tale/urban legend that leaving meat salted too long dries it out.

Just one perfectly clear, final answer is all I need. )

[Jamie Purviance]

Ha! Scott, I think a lot of us are looking for one perfectly clear, final answer. I do believe that salting meat before grilling improves the flavor. Typically I season steaks and chops and things like that about 30 minutes before grilling. That's the first thing I do. Then I go light my grill and pop open a beverage. The grill gets hot, I get happy, and some juices in the meat do get drawn toward the salt. They create a salty solution on the surface that does get (at least partially) absorbed into the meat. Now you have some salt down inside the meat and that's awesome. Don't worry about drying out the meat. That would take several hours, if not days, depending on the type of meat and size of it. Now we are getting into all kinds of variables and my perfectly clear answer become a muddy digression, so I'll leave it here. Salt your meat about 30 minutes before grilling. It's good that way.

Oh, and here's another tip. It's one of my Top Five Tips for Grilling Like an Expert, which you can read in full in "Weber's Greatest Hits."

Baste with Love Potion #10
One of the surest ways of making food taste as though you are a five-star chef is to baste it with something outrageously good, like gloriously seasoned fat. Start by browning whole garlic cloves in butter or extra-virgin olive oil, and then simmer the mixture for a few minutes with fresh herbs sprigs, half a lemon, and some spices. A little pot of this potion beside the grill could be your little secret for adding glistening layers of out-of-this-world flavors.

Thanks,
Jamie

[Rolf Jacobsen]

Ha! Scott, I think a lot of us are looking for one perfectly clear, final answer. I do believe that salting meat before grilling improves the flavor. Typically I season steaks and chops and things like that about 30 minutes before grilling. That's the first thing I do. Then I go light my grill and pop open a beverage. The grill gets hot, I get happy, and some juices in the meat do get drawn toward the salt. They create a salty solution on the surface that does get (at least partially) absorbed into the meat. Now you have some salt down inside the meat and that's awesome. Don't worry about drying out the meat. That would take several hours, if not days, depending on the type of meat and size of it. Now we are getting into all kinds of variables and my perfectly clear answer become a muddy digression, so I'll leave it here. Salt your meat about 30 minutes before grilling. It's good that way.

Oh, and here's another tip. It's one of my Top Five Tips for Grilling Like an Expert, which you can read in full in "Weber's Greatest Hits."

Baste with Love Potion #10
One of the surest ways of making food taste as though you are a five-star chef is to baste it with something outrageously good, like gloriously seasoned fat. Start by browning whole garlic cloves in butter or extra-virgin olive oil, and then simmer the mixture for a few minutes with fresh herbs sprigs, half a lemon, and some spices. A little pot of this potion beside the grill could be your little secret for adding glistening layers of out-of-this-world flavors.

Thanks,
Jamie

Thanks for this one.

[Scott P.]

Thanks! That sounds tasty to try.