Techniques
How to dry brine steak
Everyone has a method for steak. Ours is dry brining: salt, time, and nothing else. It asks almost nothing of you and improves any cut.
Dry brining tenderises steak and deepens its flavour. The process is exactly what it sounds like - season the steak with salt and let it rest uncovered in the fridge.
Method
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Choose your cut
Dry brining works particularly well with tougher cuts like flank, skirt, or sirloin, but improves any cut.
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Season with coarse salt
Use a generous amount of coarse sea salt and apply it evenly over both sides of the steak. Avoid fine salt - it dissolves too quickly and over-salts the surface.
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Rest it in the fridge
Place the salted steak on a wire rack set over a tray or plate. Leave it uncovered in the fridge for a minimum of an hour and up to 24 hours. This allows airflow around the steak, drying the surface while the salt penetrates.
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Pat dry
Before cooking, pat the steak thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. This prevents excess saltiness and gives you the sear.
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Cook
Sear the steak in a hot pan - we use the Season Cast Iron Frying Pan. Use vegetable or rapeseed oil; olive oil burns at these temperatures. Add butter midway through cooking and spoon it over the steak.
Why it works
Salt draws moisture from the surface of the steak and forms a natural brine. That brine is reabsorbed, carrying salt deeper into the meat and breaking down muscle proteins as it goes. The broken-down proteins hold more water through cooking, so the steak comes out seasoned throughout, with a proper crust and a juicy interior.
Coarse salt keeps the brining gradual, which is what balances the flavour and the texture.
Cooking meat-free? The same pan makes crisp spring onion pancakes. See the recipe.
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