# Marinades - do you pat the meat dry before grilling?



## velochic (Feb 3, 2010)

I know that for the most part, the rule of thumb is that you dry the meat before grilling it.  Sometimes I don't and, especially like how the marinade caramelizes on the meat, if I've done that.  Do you have a rule of thumb about when to dry the meat and when to put it on the grill "wet"?  Or do you always dry the meat?  Does it matter if you pan sear it vs. grill?

The reason I'm asking this is because I use a nice fajita method for skirt steak, and I think it tastes so much better to grill it "wet".  The original recipe, which I looked at today for the first time in years, said to make sure to pat the meat dry.

What do you usually do?


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## FrankZ (Feb 3, 2010)

I don't think I have patted meat dry before grilling at all.  Might shake it a couple times though.


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## kadesma (Feb 3, 2010)

I know the "chef's" will tell you to pat the meat dry so you will get a crust,I just toss it on the grill and hope for the best.Really I feel what ever is your favorite way, do it.Sometimes people get so wrapped up in doing things the right way it  seems that is more important than flavor.
kadesma


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## velochic (Feb 3, 2010)

True, Kadesma.  Well, I also mean, just patting it dry, in general, even if you don't have a marinade on it.  You know, you take a steak out of the package and it may have some juice... okay... _blood _on the surface.  Do you pat that dry as well?


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## kadesma (Feb 3, 2010)

velochic said:


> True, Kadesma.  Well, I also mean, just patting it dry, in general, even if you don't have a marinade on it.  You know, you take a steak out of the package and it may have some juice... okay... _blood _on the surface.  Do you pat that dry as well?


I just put a paper towel under it so it won't drip on anything transfering it to a hot skillet or grill.
kadesma


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Feb 3, 2010)

Sometimes I pat meat dry, and sometimes not, depending on what I'm going to do with it.  If I'm going to grill it, patting dry, especially with poultry is a must.  That allows me to rub fat and flavorings (herbs & spices) onto the meat.  If the surface is wet, butter and oil won't stick to the meat.  Also, patting a steak dry will allow you to rub a bit of oil onto the steak surface, helping it develop a better flavor and color.  Again, it also allows seasonings to stick better.  If I'm going to dredge meat in egg-wash, or buttermilk, and then in flour, again, I'm patting it dry so that the other stuff will stick.

If I'm just broiling the meat, or pan frying it, I dont' bother to pat it as the pan or broiling pan has a light coating of oil on it, and the meat juices hold precious flavor.  And I don't salt until the juices, be they red or clear, depending on the type of meat and how well I want it done, begin to flow.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## GB (Feb 3, 2010)

Goodweed of the North said:


> And I don't salt until the juices, be they red or clear, depending on the type of meat and how well I want it done, begin to flow.
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


You should try dry brining sometime GW. It will change your life.


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## FrankZ (Feb 3, 2010)

GB said:


> You should try dry brining sometime GW. It will change your life.




Aye... that it will..


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## Uncle Bob (Feb 3, 2010)

velochic said:
			
		

> What do you usually do?



I never take wet meat to the fire....Rather than "steam" and "boil" first... I want it to just simply sear.....


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Feb 5, 2010)

GB said:


> You should try dry brining sometime GW. It will change your life.


 
I actually prefer a brine to a marinade as it flavors the entire meat rather than just the surface.  My favorite spicy chicken (way better than bufalo wings) is made with a blend of hot sauces and soy sauce (should be a secret recipe, but I share all recipes).

For a unique taste, try brining fish, then brushing a brown sugar glaze on them while smoking in hickory.  My Dad taught me that one with a yummy little fish called smelt.  You can eat 'em all day and never tire of the flavor.

Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Andy M. (Feb 5, 2010)

I always pat meats dry before grilling.  If nothing else, the oil used in a marinade will drip down onto the fire and cause flare-ups that make controlled grilling difficult.


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## tzakiel (Feb 11, 2010)

Pat the meat dry before grilling it.  Otherwise it will steam.  Then, baste more marinade if you like as it's cooking.


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## mexican mama (Feb 12, 2010)

how about when u pat i dry but kinda save the marinade liquid for brushing???i do this most of the time..i brush the marinade unto the meat to keep it moist and flavorful


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## Andy M. (Feb 12, 2010)

mexican mama said:


> how about when u pat i dry but kinda save the marinade liquid for brushing???i do this most of the time..i brush the marinade unto the meat to keep it moist and flavorful



That's only OK if you cook the meat with the marinade on it or bring the marinade to a boil before using it.  Remember, the marinade had raw meat in it.


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## vagriller (Feb 12, 2010)

GB said:


> You should try dry brining sometime GW. It will change your life.


 
Timeout GB! I believe you have committed a grave infraction here. You mentioned a great tip without further instructions! Is there another thread about it?

I've always wanted to try a wet brine, and never heard of a dry brine.


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## GB (Feb 17, 2010)

LOL sorry vagriller. Let me try to redeem myself. A dry brine is one of the easiest ways to get flavor into your meat. Here is how it is done. It is going to sound a little counter intuitive and will go against what you have have been taught about before, but stick with me and by the end you will be a believer.

To dry brine, take your meat (I have only ever done it with steak) and liberally coat it on both sides with salt. Use a little more than you think you should. Now wrap the meat tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Now I am sure at this point you are thinking that does not make sense because the salt will draw moisture out of the steak. Well that is correct and that would be a bad thing if we cooked the meat right away. Because we are letting it sit longer a little bit of magic happens. The juices do get drawn out, but then they mix with and dissolve the salt and then because of osmosis those salty juices are sucked back into the meat. The end result is that the meat is now seasoned with the salty meat juices from the inside out, as opposed to just being seasoned on the surface. Your steak will be full of flavor and juice. Try it and see what you think.


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## Selkie (Feb 17, 2010)

While I'm not specifically on a low sodium diet, I do try to be aware of the amount of salt I take in other than merely using a salt shaker. And granted that salt is a very effective flavor enhancer, I wonder if your dry brining method would also be effective with much less salt but using herbs such as garlic powder and onion powder and paprika? I realize "brine" means salt, but what I'm questioning is the required amount, and the substitution of other "dry elements" to draw out the moisture and begin the process.


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## GB (Feb 17, 2010)

I am not sure if ingredients other than salt would draw out the moisture, but I am sure you could cut down on the salt and add in other powdered flavorings. I bet that would work quite well.

The amount of salt I was talking about in my brine is not a ton, just a little more than you would think you would need.


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## vagriller (Feb 17, 2010)

GB said:


> LOL sorry vagriller. Let me try to redeem myself. A dry brine is one of the easiest ways to get flavor into your meat. Here is how it is done. It is going to sound a little counter intuitive and will go against what you have have been taught about before, but stick with me and by the end you will be a believer.
> 
> To dry brine, take your meat (I have only ever done it with steak) and liberally coat it on both sides with salt. Use a little more than you think you should. Now wrap the meat tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Now I am sure at this point you are thinking that does not make sense because the salt will draw moisture out of the steak. Well that is correct and that would be a bad thing if we cooked the meat right away. Because we are letting it sit longer a little bit of magic happens. The juices do get drawn out, but then they mix with and dissolve the salt and then because of osmosis those salty juices are sucked back into the meat. The end result is that the meat is now seasoned with the salty meat juices from the inside out, as opposed to just being seasoned on the surface. Your steak will be full of flavor and juice. Try it and see what you think.


 
Thanks GB, you are redeemed! And I will try that for sure next time I make steak. I grilled steak on Valentine's Day, and the next day I re-heated some leftover in the CI skillet. The sear it put on the steak in such a short time made me want to try it in the skillet from the get go. When you consider that the salt is distributed throughout the meat rather than just the surface, it might be easier to think about using more. So this should work for chicken too?


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## GB (Feb 18, 2010)

I have never used it for chicken, but theoretically it should work I think.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Feb 19, 2010)

GB said:


> LOL sorry vagriller. Let me try to redeem myself. A dry brine is one of the easiest ways to get flavor into your meat. Here is how it is done. It is going to sound a little counter intuitive and will go against what you have have been taught about before, but stick with me and by the end you will be a believer.
> 
> To dry brine, take your meat (I have only ever done it with steak) and liberally coat it on both sides with salt. Use a little more than you think you should. Now wrap the meat tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Now I am sure at this point you are thinking that does not make sense because the salt will draw moisture out of the steak. Well that is correct and that would be a bad thing if we cooked the meat right away. Because we are letting it sit longer a little bit of magic happens. The juices do get drawn out, but then they mix with and dissolve the salt and then because of osmosis those salty juices are sucked back into the meat. The end result is that the meat is now seasoned with the salty meat juices from the inside out, as opposed to just being seasoned on the surface. Your steak will be full of flavor and juice. Try it and see what you think.


 
GB;  Kosher meat is made by a dry-brining method, sort of.  Kosher salt is used as its shape creates more sruface area with which to draw the moisture from the meat.

I can see just from what you've posted, that the method you use makes sense.  Salt packing is a valid way to cook many roasts as well.  Also, real smoked hams are packed in salt for an extended time before smoking and are extremely salty, so much so that they have to be boiled to remove some of the salt before the meat can be eaten.

I wonder if kosher salt miht decreae teh amount of time required to treat the meat.  In any case, thanks for the tip.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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