The Reason Early Salting Can Ruin Your Prime Rib
NEWS
By MATTHEW LEE
When you sprinkle salt on a prime rib, the juices are instantly drawn from deep within the muscle strands of the meat and onto the surface, eventually dissolving the salt crystals.
The dissolved salt creates a brine that’s re-absorbed into the meat, enhancing its flavor. This process also degrades the muscle proteins in the meat, tenderizing the prime rib.
However, when you leave the salt on for too long before cooking, it draws out all of the meat’s moisture, leaving you with a dry cut that can taste like beef jerky or even leather.
If salting your meat several days in advance and leaving it that way until you get to cooking feels more convenient, ensure you don’t salt the meat any more than four days ahead.
On that note, if you are defrosting your frozen prime rib on the countertop, any point during the three hours it takes to reach room temperature is a good window for salting.
Note that salt needs a minimum of 45 minutes to work its magic. Salting your meat any closer to the cooking time can result in a dry rib that leaks salty drippings as you cook.