The Steak-To-Seasoning Ratio You Need To Memorize

Cooking a delicious steak means taking a high-quality cut of beef and transforming it into a sensory experience. With an impressive list of different cuts of steak and a variety of cooking methods (from sous vide to reverse sear), no matter how you cook it, a steak is incomplete without a proper seasoning. Whether you enjoy spicing it up with creative flavors like maple bourbon or whether you fall squarely in the camp that steak only needs salt and pepper, we can generally agree that the amount of seasoning makes a big difference to the final product. Thankfully, it's easy to know how much to use as long as you keep this simple ratio in your back pocket: 1 tablespoon of seasoning to every pound of steak.

Though it's not a strict rule, this ratio is an easy way to account for the size of the beef you're working with and the goal of evenly seasoning it on all sides. You should always tweak your seasoning based on your personal preferences (it is your meal after all), but a tablespoon per pound is a good place to start. Another thing to keep in mind is that this ratio is specific to steak, which is tougher than other meats. If you try the same with ground beef or chicken, you'll likely face some serious over-salting. A good tip to have on hand for those moments is that a squeeze of lemon is all you need to fix overly salty foods.

Now that you have a safe guideline for how much seasoning to use, it's important to also review exactly how to apply your seasoning for maximum efficiency. Salt is the cornerstone of flavor and one of the most important ingredients that you don't want to overdo. The type of salt you use plays a big part in your steak's success. You shouldn't use table salt to season steaks, in part, because its tiny granules make it easy to oversalt your meat. Instead, opt for coarse kosher salt, which has larger granules that are more forgiving if you tend to be heavy-handed.

Additionally, be sure to evenly distribute your seasoning so it's not concentrated in one area. Sprinkling it on from a higher distance (remember Salt Bae?) helps ensure an even coating that will make each bite balanced and equally flavorful. Finally, remember to not neglect the sides. It's easy to focus on the top and bottom of a steak, but taking care of its thick sides results in a delicious all-around flavor. The tablespoon per pound that you're using is the perfect amount for evenly covering all sides of the steak without giving any particular spot too much. Combined with these tips, the golden ratio of steak seasoning will help you perfect your steak-based dishes, whether you're planning to cook your steak slowly in a butter bath or you simply want to cook steak bites in an air fryer.