Timing Is Absolutely Everything When It Comes To Peppering Your Meat

Seasoning meat: Should you do it before, during, or after cooking? Who knew this simple question was rife with so much controversy? Adding pepper (and other spices and seasonings) to your proteins is a critical part of the cooking process, ensuring that the meat develops a great taste and texture. However, working out the best time to add the pepper is something that has plagued culinary scientists and chefs for a long time. 

When we spoke to Food Network host Kardea Brown at the Nassau Paradise Island Wine & Food Festival, she gave a straightforward answer to this question: "I like to do it before it hits the heat." She also shared that she prefers to keep the seasonings simple, saying, "If I'm seasoning the meat before I add it to the pan, right before I hit maybe a piece of steak right on the pan, I'll add it with some salt and pepper" 

It turns out that Brown's advice isn't merely a matter of personal preference. Giving pepper and other seasonings time to absorb into your meat is a pro move that elevates flavor whether you like a unique blue rare steak or one that's been cooked through. It's similar to how brining can transform roast chicken, since flavors have time to penetrate into the meat.

To season your meat properly, make sure that the surface of your protein is dry by patting it all over with a paper towel. Next, choose your spice blend. Kosher salt is many chefs' gold standard for seasoning — if you've ever wondered what kosher salt is, read about it before using it. Just about any salt will work to some degree because it draws moisture out of the meat, helping achieve a nice sear on steaks and a crispy skin on roast chicken. 

Peppering well before cooking will ensure that the meat develops a milder, more nuanced flavor that many connoisseurs appreciate. In general, waiting a bit between seasoning and cooking will help make flavors more complex, ensuring that proteins taste richer and more meaty. That said, how long you should let the seasoned meat sit is highly dependent on the type of protein and cut you are cooking. Generally, if you pepper the cooked meat just before plating, you will get sharper, more peppery notes since the essential oils in the pepper haven't had much time to break down.

Experts agree that it is really important you season your meat enough. For home cooks, using a sufficient amount of salt and pepper may feel like overdoing it, but your tastebuds will thank you when it is time to eat. Ideally, seasoning should cover the meat's surface.