Why should salt be added at end of the cooking process?

Salting at the end of cooking preserves meat’s moisture. Salting too early draws the meat's juices out, toughens the meat, and makes it less flavorful. If you do add salt early in the cooking process, use half the amount you think you need. That will give you enough time to correct it at the end when you can really taste the meat to see if it needs any more salt.

- Salt enhances flavor. Adding it at the end allows other flavors to shine through at the beginning of cooking, but salt's flavors will still integrate just fine with the flavors that developed while cooking.

- Salt can toughen meat. When you add salt to meat prior to cooking, it draws out the moisture from the meat, making it tough. By salting at the end of cooking, you can avoid this problem and ensure that your meat remains tender and juicy.

- Salt can inhibit the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that occurs when food is heated. It is responsible for the browning of food and the development of flavors and aromas. Salting meat too early can inhibit the Maillard reaction, preventing your food from browning properly.