How do you season a steak?

When should you salt a steak?

Salt it at least 40 to 45 minutes ahead, or up to overnight. If you cannot wait that long, salt it right before cooking: salting partway gives a wet surface that browns poorly. A steak can take more salt than many cooks expect, so season the whole surface generously.

Should you pepper before or after searing?

Test kitchens usually pepper a steak before searing. For a heavy peppercorn crust, America's Test Kitchen peppers only one side and sears the bare side first so the peppercorns do not scorch.

Why should you pat a steak dry?

A wet surface cannot rise above 212°F (100°C) until the water evaporates, so a damp steak steams before it browns. Pat it dry with paper towels before it goes in.

What oil should you sear a steak in?

For a hard sear, heat a little high-smoke-point oil in the pan, such as vegetable oil. If you baste with butter, add it near the end, after a few minutes of searing in oil so it does not burn, along with garlic and thyme. See how to pan-sear a steak.

Should you marinate steak?

The steaks sources most often say to marinate are flank and skirt, though America's Test Kitchen warns that marinating can turn flank gray and mushy. Advice on timing runs from about 1 hour to no more than 24 hours. Whether acidic marinades tenderize is disputed: America's Test Kitchen says acid left too long turns the surface mushy, not tender, and a University of Nebraska study found no tenderizing effect from acid in one of its two experiments, while Penn State says a marinade needs acid to tenderize.