[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.