That old line cook told me to salt my cutting board not the steak and I laughed until I tried it

Switched to salting the board like he said during a busy Friday dinner rush and my steaks came out way more even seasoned, has anyone else had a weird kitchen trick from a coworker that actually worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

samthompson1mo ago

My buddy Mike at the steakhouse swore by wiping the steak dry with paper towels right before it hit the grill, said moisture was the enemy of a good crust. Tried it on a slow Tuesday and my first steak came out with this crazy dark brown sear that was way more even than my usual method. Took me three tries to get the timing right because I kept overcompensating with heat after drying it, but now I can't go back. I'm telling you, half the stuff old timers say is just them being stubborn, but every once in a while you get a real gem like that.

schmidt.eva1mo ago

Wait, the drying trick is a real game changer too? @samthompson I had the exact same problem with overcompensating when I started drying my steaks better. For me the biggest shock was how much quicker the crust forms once you get that moisture off. I kept burning the butter because I was used to waiting longer. It's wild how one little change can mess with your whole timing like that.