Steak should always be seasoned generously—really generously. You're going to need to sprinkle on more salt than you think is appropriate because you want it to completely cover the steak. Sprinkle the salt from above for more even coverage. It's going to seem like overkill, but seriously… just keep salting.
Liberally sprinkle steak seasoning on all sides of the steak (top, bottom and sides) and pat into the meat (don't rub). Use approximately 1 tabelspoon per pound of steak.
The most important rule when seasoning your steak is to always use enough salt, and preferably kosher salt. A generous crust of salt is the number-one reason restaurant and steakhouse steaks taste so good.
The ways that you can wind up with an over-salted steak include using too much salt and using a fine-grained salt. If you used a fine-grained salt, the grains break down too quickly on the steak's surface and are absorbed into the meat. Your steak becomes unpalatable as a result.
Sure, you love the flavor of steak on its own. But when you add some sea salt and ground black pepper to your steak before cooking it, you bring out even more of that savory flavor you love. Seasoning a steak has another not-so-obvious benefit: it can tenderize the meat.
Medium Rare
If you were to ask a professional chef how they would want their steak to be cooked, nine times out of ten they would tell you medium-rare is the way to go. Medium rare steaks are red only in the very middle of the steak. The rest should be various shades of pink, with the outer edges browned.
While using large amounts of salt may cause some people to worry about drying their steak out too much, if you stick to the timing technique we've outlined above (one hour per inch of steak thickness) then isn't anything to worry about.
Adding salt to the exterior of a piece of steak draws out the moisture in the steak. The salt then dissolves in this moisture, creating a brine that is then re-absorbed back into the steak. In this process, the lean muscle proteins in the meat are broken down, made juicier and more tender. All thanks to salt!
Applied to the surface before cooking, the grains will travel into the meat, seasoning it deeply and altering its protein structure to make it more tender and juicy. Then, once the steak is cooked and sliced for serving, a sprinkle of salt enhances the seasoning and adds a delicate saline crunch.
Moral of the story: If you've got the time, salt your meat for at least 40 minutes and up to overnight before cooking. If you haven't got 40 minutes, it's better to season immediately before cooking.
Typically a steak is seasoned with coarse ground black pepper, sea or kosher salt, garlic, and some type of signature spice. In addition to the seasoning most steakhouse's use a marinade, butter, or some type of baste or finishing liquid.
Season the Steak: Steaks don't need much to make them great. Just before grilling, brush them lightly on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you want to get fancy, you can add spices like chili powder, paprika, or garlic powder to the rub.
The Rules. Remember the ½ Rule - Start off with 1/2 teaspoon of spice for any dish that serves four to six people. And for herbs, use 1/2 teaspoon for powders and 1-1/2 teaspoon for dried or chopped.
At the very least, you should add about one tablespoon of meat seasoning for every pound of meat. Apply the dry rub evenly so that every mouth has flavor. For the perfect steak, make sure to use beef seasoning.
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.
Just use as much salt as you normally would add to a steak, and do not rinse the steak before cooking. As far as the condition of the fridge goes, you're going to want to make sure there's nothing with a strong odor left uncovered in the fridge which could work it's way into the meat.
That's because of what salt does: it draws out the moisture of the steak, then absorbs the moisture back into the meat, now seasoned with salt. Rest it for too short a time, and the beef won't reabsorb the juice, leaving it dry and unsatisfying.
Don't Be Afraid to Salt Liberally
While large amounts of salt may bring about the fear of drying out your steak too much, this isn't anything to worry about. Drying out your beef to the point of jerky is a much longer process than what we are talking about here.
The salt breaks down the muscle fibers and connective tissue to maximize the tenderness and texture of the steak. Being a coarse variety, it also draws out and dissolves some of the juices of the meat. This brine is then reabsorbed, tenderizing and enhancing the flavor of the steak.
On seasoning:
There's nothing better than to let the natural flavours of the meat sing. I keep it simple by first coating the meat with a bit of olive oil and then adding lots of coarse salt just before cooking so it doesn't dissolve, as this helps to create a nice surface texture. I generally add pepper post-cooking.
Just before cooking or 24-hours in advance. My preferred method is to season the steak generously with salt and pepper then let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator at least overnight or up to 48 hours.
Take steps to ensure a good crust
"Pat down your meat," says Cervantez. "Dry meat forms the best crust." Juan Carlos Gonzalez, former executive chef of SoBou in New Orleans, likes to add a bit of olive oil as well, which he says helps achieve a better sear or griddle marks.
Once the steak has reached room temperature, about 20-30 minutes, it should be cooked. You can put the rub on the steak and refrigerate it for several hours, or overnight, but it should be rest 20-30 minutes before cooking. No longer than that.