Why You Should Wait Until After Searing Steak To Add This Popular Seasoning

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Timing is everything when it comes to searing steak the right way. If you're as much a fan of black pepper's punch as you are its more nuanced notes, one of the best things you can do is wait until your steak's off the heat before seasoning it with the popular spice. By adding it after the sear, you can prevent flavor loss caused by two factors: time and temperature.

If you've ever wondered why some restaurants grind pepper at your table, it's likely because they want you to enjoy the seasoning at its best. Once the spice is ground or cracked, the volatile compounds that give it pungency and flavor dissipate fairly quickly. Meanwhile, oxidation further dulls the taste. To get the most robust flavors, you'll need to mitigate these effects by minimizing air exposure. That usually means adding freshly ground pepper shortly before serving your steak.

Some of black pepper's flavors can also be lost when exposed to heat, so there's a risk of weakening its potency if you season beforehand. High searing temperatures may cause the spice to become a little bitter as well, but some people might like the balance it brings to the steak's overall flavor profile. If you're one of those folks, feel free to season the meat just before it hits the pan, instead. For best results, try different coarseness levels for the pepper — the right grind can have a major effect on your dining experience.

The coarseness of black pepper and other spices is measured by their mesh size, with higher numbers meaning a finer grind. Whole peppercorns clock in at 6 mesh, while almost powder-like grinds are at 30 mesh and upwards. For thick cuts of meat like steak, the ideal size falls around the 10 to 18 range. You can also get good results with grinds as coarse as 8 mesh, which is about the size of cracked pepper.

In general, higher mesh sizes offer more uniform seasoning at the cost of texture; the particles at 30 mesh are too small to feel while you're eating. They also tend to lose their potency faster because their increased surface area allows the pepper's volatile compounds to fade more quickly. (This is why it's usually a mistake to buy pre-ground pepper.) With a coarser grind, you give your steak's crust a more toothsome texture while imbuing it with a longer-lasting flavor.

The "right" mesh size for steaks still depends heavily on your personal preferences, however. Since maximizing the pepper's flavor means grinding it right before seasoning, it might be a good idea to buy a pepper mill with adjustable grind sizes (such as the OXO Good Grips Contoured Mess-Free Pepper Grinder). This way, you can experiment with the coarseness until you find your favorite option, while also having the flexibility to grind the ideal mesh sizes for other dishes.