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How to Season Steaks: Best Way to Season Steaks

How to Season Steaks: Best Way to Season Steaks

Anyone who has sat down to a drool worthy meal only to find out their long-awaited steak is horribly bland knows the importance of proper seasoning. Salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder — herbs and spices make the world go round. They also help bring out the inner beefiness of your favorite cut of steak, coaxing more natural flavor out of your Allen Brothers beef than you could even imagine.

But much like cooking, seasoning is a skill that must be learned and practiced often. Here’s our expert guide on how to season steak like a pro, plus a few tips on what seasonings you might want to use the next time you step up to the grill.

Why is salt so important to steak seasoning?

Whenever you’re wondering what to season steak with, always start with salt. There are two reasons why salt is such an important part of cooking a great steak.

  1. It draws out moisture. Salt is often applied to steaks that are still thawing in the fridge and it can also be sprinkled on a thawed steak that’s coming to room temp for 20 or so minutes before cooking. Both methods help draw out some of the steak’s inner juices, drying out the meat’s surface just enough to facilitate a golden-brown sear once the beef hits the heat.
  2. Salt brings out flavor. Salt is the most essential seasoning on the planet, and professional cooks are never in the kitchen without it. Salt balances sweetness, tames bitterness, and acts like a megaphone once applied to other flavorings. It makes beef taste beefier, rosemary more herbal and fragrant, and so on.

Pro tip: Ditch the iodized table salt and instead season your steak with either kosher sea salt or Himalayan pink salt. Both offer the benefits of salt — namely flavor amplification and the pre-cooking drying effect — without being too salty or imparting off flavors that might mask the natural taste and aromas of the beef.

Types of seasonings for your steak

Beyond salt, the best way to season steak depends on several factors, such as your personal preferences and what other components you have planned for your meal. For instance, you might hate tarragon, which pretty much crosses that herb off your list of potential seasonings.

Here is a list of popular steak seasonings to help get the ideas flowing:

  • Salt and pepper: The go-to for steak seasoning is popular for a good reason
  • Chopped herbs: Add to butter or olive oil in the pan and baste the steak or sprinkle over a cooked steak for the perfect fragrant finish
  • Garlic: Perfectly pungent and it plays well with almost every other seasoning/side dish
  • Sugar: A small sprinkling of sugar on your steak can help the meat caramelize and develop an even tastier outer crust — think savory, crispy exterior and tender, succulent interior
  • Montreal steak seasoning: A very popular steak seasoning that typically contains salt, black pepper, cayenne, garlic, and dill, with sometimes additions of paprika and onion powder
  • Custom spice blends: Develop your own signature spice blend using a combination of salt, pepper, and whatever else strikes your fancy — perhaps chipotle chili powder, dried thyme, or cumin

How much seasoning should you add to steak?

Part of mastering the fine art of pro-level seasoning for steak is to figure out just how much of that seasoning you should add to your strip steak or porterhouse. The general rule is to use about 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of meat, but techniques and amounts differ depending on what cooking and seasoning methods you’re using.

Here are a few tips:

  • When applying salt and pepper, sprinkle liberally until you can see a visible layer of seasoning on both sides of the steak
  • Thicker steaks require more seasoning on the surface to account for the meat not directly exposed to salt/pepper/etc.
  • The better quality seasoning you choose, the less you’ll need to use, as quality often means greater intensity
  • If you want to crust a steak in seasoning, like you might find with a steak au poivre, stick to a simple blend (kosher salt and crushed peppercorns, for instance), press a solid layer of spices into the steak, and sear over high heat so the spices are toasty and crisp
  • If you’re stuck using iodized/table salt, use less than you think you need — it’s easy to overuse fine-grain salts which can create an inedible, overseasoned steak
  • For anything beyond salt and pepper, sprinkle herbs with confidence, but keep in mind that you want to accent the flavor of the steak, not overpower it

Pro tip: Old dried herbs can lose their flavor too, so give the bottle a sniff test before you dump that ancient oregano on your prime ribeye steak or filet mignon. If the bottle lacks aroma and you can’t “reactivate” the herbs by rubbing them between your fingers, it’s probably time to toss whatever’s left and treat yourself to a new batch.

When is the best time to season a steak?

As you’re deciding when to season steak, be aware that there are actually multiple times when seasoning may be appropriate.

  • Before you cook: Add salt about 30-45 minutes before you cook. You can also add a dry rub or marinade if you want the seasoning to sink into the steak for a while before it hits the heat (this is especially helpful for thicker steaks).
  • While you cook: Using compound butters or adding a couple garlic gloves or rosemary sprigs to your cast-iron pan or grill as the steak cooks can help infuse the beef with flavor. That said, be careful about how much you add to a steak mid-cook. It’s easy to burn dry spices and lose control over seasoning during the cooking process.
  • Right after you cook: Top a just-cooked steak with a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs for an aromatic finish or add a dab of compound butter for a steakhouse-quality result.

Do wet- or dry-aged steaks need to be seasoned?

Yes! All steaks need seasoning.

Wet-aged beef can stand up to almost any seasoning combo you can dream up. Keep it simple with salt and pepper or use a complex steak rub you made yourself.

Dry-aged beef calls for a lighter touch. The steak has already lost moisture through the dry aging process, so it’s best to avoid heavily salting the meat well ahead of cooking. Dry-aged beef also has a stronger, earthier flavor from the get-go, so you won’t need to be as generous with seasoning and you may want to stay away from stronger herb blends that may fight for the spotlight.

How to prepare, season, and cook steak

Ready to get cooking? Here’s a quick-start guide that’ll help you get from purchase to plate.

  • Thaw your steak and bring the meat to room temperature
  • Salt ahead of time to help draw the steak’s moisture to surface (skip or reduce seasoning at this step for dry-aged steaks) and blot with a paper towel if necessary
  • Add other seasonings, like dried herbs or brown sugar, right before cooking
  • Choose and use the steak cooking method of your choice
  • Let the steak rest for at least half the cooking time
  • Slice or serve whole

For more information, check out Allen Brothers’ comprehensive grilling guide.

Proper seasoning is an essential part of cooking a great steak, but it all starts with buying high-quality, hand-selected beef. Check out Allen Brothers steaks and start planning your next “best dinner yet” today.

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is tasked with evaluating beef produced in the U.S. The organization makes its assessments based on two primary characteristics: Quality: How tender, juicy, and flavorful the meat is Yield: How much usable/saleable meat a butcher gets from the cow USDA beef grades have become a widely recognized symbol that consumers rely on as they shop and dine out. Understanding what Prime means versus a cut labeled Choice or Select not only gives you an idea of how tender or tasty that meat will be, but it also helps guide your prep and cooking processes — after all, you wouldn’t necessarily treat a Prime cut the same way you’d treat a Choice cut. It’s important to note that USDA grades are not automatic. Beef producers must opt into the grading system by paying for a trained inspector to visit their facility and evaluate production and the meat itself. Once a manufacturer opts in, they are committed to very specific labeling requirements and must label beef using the appropriate USDA grading shield as outlined by the Food Safety and Inspection Service.  USA Beef Quality Grading Scale So, what’s in a meat grade? We now know that quality grades speak to taste, texture, and even the amount of beef a cow offers, but what’s the difference between each grade? Here are the three main grades outlined by the USDA. Hint: It’s mostly about the degree of marbling. Prime Grade Prime is known as one of the best beef grades on the market because of the meat’s abundant marbling. USDA Prime beef comes from young, well-fed beef cattle that contain lots of evenly distributed fat. All that marbling melts into the steak once the meat hits the heat, essentially basting steaks in their own beefy flavor. Less than 3% of all beef produced in the U.S. will be given this top-tier grade. 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