Does it actually matter when you add pepper to your steak?

When you apply pepper to your steak does have an effect on how that pepper flavor or more especially the piperine flavor. After experimenting myself, I think I'm now a believer in applying some pepper to my steak after it has been seared, but this is not due to the rationale that pepper could burn if you put it on the steak before searing.

📚 Videos & Sources mentioned

---

INGREDIENTS LIST

CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL

---

USEFUL KITCHEN GEAR

---

0:00 It does matter when you add pepper to your steak
0:24 Potentially burnt pepper is not a big deal IMO
2:02 The Main Reason why you may want to add pepper after searing
4:15 Experiment - taste testing 3 different peppered steaks
7:05 The Guide to Peppering your Steak

---

MISC. DETAILS
Music: Provided by Epidemic Sound
Filmed on: Sony a6600 & Sony A6400 w/ Sigma 16mm F1.4
Voice recorded on Zoom H4n with Behringer Mic
Edited in: Premiere Pro

Affiliate Disclosure:

[DoctorPhilGud]

Dude I love the way you lay out your videos.
You ask a question in the thumbnail, you answer the question in the first 10 seconds, then you show your work the rest of the way. I love it.

[ethanspantryreport]

Ingredient report (I'm doing one more because I don't think a lot of people saw my announcement):

Mayo and pickled onions were not seen in this video.

This has been your ingredient report. I'm going to be taking a short break from commenting for now. Don't worry, there's nothing bad happening right now, it's just that I want to not worry about commenting for a while.

Thanks everyone, I'll see you soon!

[mattwodziak]

Q: When should I put pepper on my steak? Before, during or after cooking?

A: Yes.

[BlueGrovyle]

My dumb Chess brain: "Why is he holding a giant pawn in the beginning of the video?"

[JoeAuerbach]

I always pepper before AND after. Toasted pepper is a neat flavor, but the fresh stuff packs a unique punch

[chairofthebored]

I love the fact that you throw a lot of love Kenji's way since you recognize the groundwork he laid in using breaking down food science to an easy to digest format for the homecook, but I hope you recognize that you also picked up that ball and RAN with it. You make great vids that highlight exactly how I think when I cook.

[youbikewithatube]

What I do is put the pepper on before I grill it, then right after it’s done I add compound butter that I’ve made ahead of time that also has ground pepper, rosemary garlic and MSG (that’s right MSG baby!). Then I wrap it in aluminum foil and let it sit and rest. It turns out amazing. BTW the drippings left over in the foil I make a simple sauce with to drizzle over the meat or the German fried potatoes I make with it.

[loganebeling]

The only YouTuber I’ll drop everything to watch

[CHEFPKR]

I feel like pepper can also be treated like salt. Some salts are meant for seasoning before and after, like Kosher vs Maldon. The same can be said for pepper.

Ethan, if you see this let me slip into your DMs... I have an idea.

[SupremeNoble]

I feel like with these kinds of experiments you should've done a blind taste test and gotten someone else to help mix them up since you might have certain biases because knowing what you've done to the steaks might give you some expectations for what it should taste like from what you've read/studied

[ReubenNinan]

I love how you add the infographic at the end. It's so useful!

[tedshaw]

Would love recommendations and intel on pepper mill grinders! Thanks Ethan! 💪🏽❤️

[gumpygumpy]

Ethan Chlebowski — genuine, straight to the point, well informed, doesn’t act ridiculous. Thank you, mustache man

[QuatuorNoLife]

8:06 This relates to the French sauce "sauce au poivre" if I'm not mistaking.
It's a basic pan sauce ie: Sear steak, deglaze with wine, throw in cracked pepper and a few toasted whole pepper corns, mount with butter off the heat.
With this method, you get the almost sweet aroma of black pepper in the sauce + its pungency if you bite into a whole corn.

[nicholasdoanbass]

Your videos are by far my favorite out of all the cooking channels. You make videos on a variety of foods and cuisines, as well as make videos on very healthy foods/alternatives. Keep up the work!

[aaquibhazari]

Ethan, could you make a video on the best dish you can cook up with your findings on food so far.
Such as, sous-vide + pepper your steak at the end, and other ideas etc.

[Dwynfal]

Never thought of the science behind it but I've always seasoned (S&P) before and after... Just the way I was taught I guess!

[mzoli]

I just love the fact that you get an answer in the first 30 seconds to the question that is the title of the video!

[cameronhetzler]

This should be the future of cooking. Science is making the kitchen so much better. And by science, I mean Ethan lol

[AgentAvis]

This is exactly why I always add pepper first. Love the flavor not the spice.