Salt is a seasoning essential used in practically every savory dish, not only to make it taste saltier, but to make food taste “more like itself,” as pro chef Pati Jinich says. Another pro chef, James Beard-recognized “Top Chef” winner Richard Blais, has revealed how restaurant chefs use salt to season meat for the best outcome.

For perfectly seasoned meat, Blais recommends double-salting it: Once before cooking, and then again after it's finished. By performing one round of salting at least 45 minutes before cooking, the salt can penetrate deeper into the meat and bring out a stronger natural flavor, in addition to making it more tender.

Blais recommends using a coarser variety of salt, like Morton Coarse Kosher Salt, which will firmly adhere to meat as it cooks. However, Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal claims that fine sea salt does a better job of the meat’s entire surface, so your choice is up to what you have on hand and your personal preference.