Salting and resting meat
When to salt steak, chops and roasts, how much to use, and how long to rest meat after it comes off the coals.
Two things cost nothing and make more difference to braaied meat than any marinade: salting it at the right time, and leaving it alone for a few minutes after it comes off the fire.
When to salt
Salt timing has a dead zone in the middle. Either salt well ahead or salt at the last moment, but not in between.
- At least 45 minutes before, or up to 24 hours: salt draws moisture to the surface, dissolves in it, and is pulled back into the meat. The seasoning goes deeper, the proteins change so the meat holds more of its juice, and the surface dries out, which gives a better crust. For overnight salting, leave the meat uncovered on a rack in the fridge.
- Right before cooking: also fine. The salt stays on the surface and seasons the crust.
- 5 to 30 minutes before: the worst time. The moisture that salt has drawn out is still sitting on the surface. It steams on the grid and blocks browning.
How much
Use about 1 1/2 teaspoons of coarse salt per 500 g (1.1 lb) of meat. That is close to 1% of the meat’s weight. Fine table salt is denser, so use about two thirds of that volume, 1 teaspoon per 500 g (1.1 lb).
A scatter of flaky salt after slicing finishes the job, and matters most if you did not salt ahead.
Rubs, marinades and boerewors
- If a rub or marinade contains sugar, honey or jam, salt early and add the sweet part in the last few minutes. Sugar burns over coals.
- Never salt or prick boerewors. It is seasoned inside the casing, and pricking lets the fat run out onto the coals.
Why meat needs to rest
Heat tightens the muscle fibres and pushes the juice toward the centre. Resting lets the fibres relax and the juice spread back through the meat. Cut it too soon and that juice ends up on the board instead of in the meat.
| Cut | Rest |
|---|---|
| Burgers | 2 to 3 minutes |
| Chicken pieces | 3 to 5 minutes |
| Steaks and chops | 5 to 7 minutes |
| Whole chicken | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Butterflied lamb, pork loin | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Bone-in shoulder, pork belly, brisket | 20 to 30 minutes |
Rest meat on a warm plate or board. Tent large cuts loosely with foil. Do not wrap them tightly, because trapped steam softens the crust. Never cover crackling.
Carryover cooking
The inside of the meat keeps heating after it leaves the fire. Steaks and chops rise another 3 to 5°C (5 to 10°F) while resting. A large roast can rise 8 to 10°C (15 to 18°F).
Take the meat off before it reaches the temperature you want:
- Steak for medium-rare: pull it at 52 to 54°C (126 to 129°F). It will rest up to 55 to 57°C (131 to 135°F).
- Lamb shoulder for pink: pull it at 55°C (131°F).
- Chicken: pull it at 74°C (165°F). There is no pink target to aim short of. See safe braai temperatures.
Pressing the meat with a finger to judge doneness does not transfer well from one cut to another. A probe thermometer is cheap and removes the guesswork.
Putting it together
For a Karoo lamb chop or a steak: salt an hour before, cook over hot coals, pull it a few degrees short, rest 5 minutes on a warm plate, then slice and finish with a pinch of flaky salt. For a butterflied lamb shoulder: salt the night before, cook on the kettle with indirect heat, pull at 55°C (131°F), and rest 15 minutes under loose foil.