How to Use Salt as a Meat Tenderizer

When you think of tenderizing meat, you might envision a mallet or a special marinade, but salt can be just as effective—if not more so. Salt’s ability to draw moisture, break down proteins, and enhance flavor makes it an excellent tool for tenderizing meats, whether you’re cooking a steak, chicken, or pork.

Understanding how salt works as a tenderizer will allow you to use it strategically in your cooking, giving you more tender and flavorful meat without the need for special tools or expensive marinades. Here’s how salt helps tenderize meat and how to use it correctly.

1. The Science Behind Salt and Meat Tenderizing

Salt tenderizes meat through a process called osmosis. When salt is applied to meat, it draws moisture out of the muscle fibers. The salt then dissolves into the liquid and is absorbed back into the meat, but it also interacts with the proteins in the meat. This process partially breaks down proteins, particularly collagen, the connective tissue that makes meat tougher.

As the collagen breaks down, the muscle fibers soften, leading to a more tender texture. Salt also helps by retaining moisture within the meat, which prevents the muscle fibers from drying out during cooking, making the meat juicier and more flavorful.

2. How to Apply Salt for Tenderizing Meat

There are two main methods for using salt to tenderize meat: dry salting (dry brining) and wet salting (marinating). Each method can be effective depending on the type of meat and the desired outcome.

Dry Salting (Dry Brining)

Best For: Steaks, chicken breasts, pork chops, and other meats with a relatively tender texture.

How to Do It:

1. Sprinkle Salt Generously: Rub a generous amount of kosher salt (or coarse sea salt) onto the surface of the meat. You want to cover the entire surface, including both sides.
2. Let It Sit: For tender cuts of meat, let the salted meat sit for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature. For tougher cuts like flank steak or roasts, let it sit in the refrigerator for several hours or up to overnight (4 to 24 hours).
3. Rinse (Optional): After the resting period, some cooks choose to rinse off the excess salt, while others prefer to leave it on for a flavorful crust. Rinsing can help avoid over-salting if you’ve used too much salt, but leaving it on will help form a flavorful crust as the meat cooks.
4. Cook as Usual: After the resting period, cook the meat using your preferred method—grilling, roasting, pan-searing, etc.

The salt will have drawn out moisture from the meat, which then reabsorbs, along with the salt. This process helps the meat retain moisture during cooking, resulting in a juicier, more tender outcome.

Wet Salting (Marinating with Salt)

Best For: Tougher cuts like brisket, pork shoulder, or tougher poultry (like chicken thighs).

How to Do It:

1. Create a Marinade: Combine salt with other ingredients like oil, acid (vinegar, lemon juice), sugar, herbs, and spices to create a marinade. The salt helps to extract moisture, while the acid helps break down muscle fibers.
2. Marinate the Meat: Place the meat in the marinade and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, depending on the cut. The salt will help draw out juices and then reabsorb them along with the marinade ingredients, tenderizing the meat and infusing it with flavor.
3. Cook the Meat: After marinating, remove the meat from the mixture and discard the excess marinade (or reserve it for basting). Cook the meat as desired, using your favorite method of preparation.

This method is especially useful for tougher cuts that require longer cooking times. Salt, combined with an acidic component, helps break down collagen and other connective tissues, making the meat easier to chew and more flavorful.

3. The Right Amount of Salt to Use

One of the challenges with using salt as a tenderizer is knowing how much to use. Too much salt can result in overly salty meat, while too little might not have the desired effect. Here’s a general guide for how much salt to use:

• For dry brining: Use about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat. You want to apply enough salt to cover the surface, but not so much that the meat becomes overly salty. For larger cuts like roasts, you can use a bit more salt since it will have more surface area.
• For wet salting/marinades: The amount of salt in the marinade depends on the size of the meat and the other ingredients. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 tablespoon of salt per cup of marinade. If the marinade is mostly acidic (like lemon juice or vinegar), you can use a little less salt.

4. Types of Salt for Tenderizing Meat

The type of salt you use for tenderizing meat can affect both the texture and flavor of your final dish. The most commonly used salts are:

• Kosher Salt: This is the most commonly recommended salt for tenderizing meat because of its large, coarse grains, which make it easy to apply evenly. Kosher salt also has a more neutral flavor than other salts, which helps avoid overwhelming the natural taste of the meat.
• Sea Salt: Like kosher salt, sea salt is often used for its coarse grains and balanced flavor. It can also be used in both dry brining and wet salting.
• Table Salt: Table salt has fine grains and can be used for tenderizing, but it’s best to use less than you would with kosher salt, as it’s more concentrated. If you do use table salt, be sure to adjust the quantity to avoid over-salting.
• Pink Himalayan Salt: This type of salt can be used similarly to kosher salt and provides a unique mineral flavor. It’s best used as a finishing salt after cooking, rather than during the tenderizing process.

5. Other Tips for Tenderizing Meat with Salt

• Be Patient: For the best results, allow the salt to do its work. The longer you let the meat sit with the salt, the more effective the tenderizing process will be. Aim for at least 30 minutes for tender cuts, and up to 24 hours for tougher cuts.
• Rest the Meat: After salting, let the meat rest before cooking. This helps the salt and moisture redistribute evenly throughout the meat.
• Balance with Other Tenderizing Methods: While salt is effective for tenderizing, you can combine it with other techniques like marinating with acidic ingredients (e.g., lemon juice, vinegar) or using a meat mallet for physical tenderizing when necessary.

Conclusion

Using salt as a meat tenderizer is a simple yet highly effective way to enhance the texture and flavor of your dishes. By drawing out moisture and helping to break down tough muscle fibers, salt makes even the toughest cuts more tender and juicy. Whether you choose dry salting, wet salting, or a combination of both, understanding how to use salt properly will help you achieve perfectly cooked, flavorful meat every time.