Seasoning is perhaps the most interpretive and personalized aspect of meat cooking. While there is some disagreement about when to salt meat, either before cooking or after, there is no disagreement about the value of salt as a seasoning. Salt enhances the natural flavor of meat and should be used judiciously. When meat is salted before cooking, the taste is more rounded and full than if the meat is cooked unsalted.
The argument against salting food before cooking stems from saltΓÇÖs ability to draw moisture from the meat. In reality, with the exception of salt-cured meats, the small amount of salt used to season a steak or a roast will have little effect on the actual moisture content of meat. The real problem with presalting meat is that the small amount of moisture that comes to the surface is enough to make it difficult to brown small cuts like steaks, chops, cubes, and medallions evenly. This is much less of a problem with roasts, since the dry heat of an oven dries any moisture quite efficiently. The solution for both flavor and browning is to dry the meat first with paper towels and then, at the very last second before browning, sprinkle the meat with salt.
Pepper is a different matter. Freshly ground pepper contains very volatile flavor compounds that dissipate and fade during cooking. If you really enjoy the flavor of freshly ground pepper, we recommend peppering the meat twice: once before cooking so that the flavors penetrate the surface slightly, and again after the meat is cooked to add the taste of freshly ground pepper.
Besides the obligatory salt and pepper, there are plenty of other ways to enhance the flavor of meat before cooking, from a simple marinade to a complex spice rub. The fundamental difference between marinades and spice rubs is that marinades are traditionally made with an acidic liquid, such as vinegar, wine, or citrus juice, and can alter the texture of the meat. While a marinade cannot transform a tough shoulder steak into a fork-tender filet mignon, it will soften and tenderize the surface of the meat. This occurs because the acid actually breaks down the fibrous proteins that make meat tough in the first place, and the stronger the acidity of a marinade, the more it will soften the meatΓÇöbut only on the surface. Marinades do not penetrate more than 1/4 inch into the meat, so the center of any cut thicker than 1/2 inch remains unaffected. Some cooks try spearing the meat with a fork, and some have even gone so far as to inject the marinade into the meat, but neither method offers much success. We are satisfied with a well-seasoned exterior and a natural-tasting center.
Marinades should have enough liquid to cover the meat, and we recommend turning the meat once or twice as it marinates. The longer meat sits in marinade, the more flavor it will absorb. For most dishes, a marinating period of 4 to 24 hours is sufficient. Regardless of the length of marinating time, always marinate meat in the refrigerator, and never serve uncooked marinade. Many recipes advocate marinating meat at room temperature for maximum flavor transfer. Our experience has shown that any benefit of a more rapid infusion of flavor is not worth the potential risk of bacterial growth. If you enjoy a little marinade as sauce to serve with cooked meat, set some aside before the marinade comes into contact with the raw meat, or bring the marinade to a boil before serving.
Spice rubs and pastes are best described as a dry marinade. They can be rubbed on immediately before cooking or in advance and refrigerated overnight. Since there is no acidic liquid in a rub, there is little worry about altering the texture of the meat. Instead, the spice rub or paste gives the meat a highly flavorful, slightly crunchy crust on the exterior, while the interior retains the original flavor of the meat.
To use spice rubs or pastes, simply take small handfuls of the mix and rub it over the entire surface of the food you are going to cook, using a bit of pressure to make sure it adheres to the food. Once you have started to cook, do not worry if the rub begins to turn dark brown; as long as the spices do not begin to smoke, the food is safe.
Another alternative for adding flavor to meat is to make small incisions over the surface of a large cut of meat and stuff them with assertive ingredients such as slivers of garlic, slices of anchovy, bits of onion, or a mix of spices and herbs. As the roast cooks, these little flavor pockets perfume the surrounding meat. Take care that no bits of garlic remain on the surface of the meat, for garlic burns easily and can give a bitter, burnt flavor to the meat.
