[desdiv]

There's a reason why Myth #1 is so persistent: the action itself works, just not for the reason advertised.

Most cooks who advocate for Myth #1 will salt and pepper the steak, then let it rest for 20-30 minutes. The salt draws out some of the moisture from the surface of the steak and leaves it behind on the resting surface. The less moisture that enters the pan means better browning.

[gruez]

>The salt draws out some of the moisture from the surface of the steak and leaves it behind on the resting surface

Unless you're using paper towels to blot the steak dry, the amount of water left on the plate is absolutely negligible. If anything salting that late is worse. For one, you don't get as good penetration of the salt, so it will taste salty on the outside but bland on the inside. Plus, drawing out the moisture to the surface means there's more water to drive off when you're searing, which means a worse sear. Taking all of that into account, I think you're better off salting hours in advance (eg. in the morning or overnight), and letting it sit in the fridge to dry off.

[desdiv]

Sorry, I wasn't clear: I'm not advocating for any particular method. I was just trying to explain why Myth #1 remained so persistent for so long.

Method 1: salt and pepper, then cook immediately

Method 2: salt and pepper, let rest, then cook

Method 3: salting hours in advance, let it sit in the fridge, then cook

Obviously 3 > 2 > 1, but Method 3 wasn't done historically (by most cooks). Cooks either went with Method 1 or Method 2, and Method 2 "won" out in the end because people consistently noticed that it produced better results. Myth #1 was an incorrect explanation as to why Method 2 is better than Method 1.