Salting meat and leaving it overnight in the refrigerator allows time for the salt to travel deep into the meat, thoroughly seasoning it and changing the protein structure so that it can hold on to more juices during cooking. And unlike brining, salting won’t thwart the goal of crispy skin on poultry or a well-browned crust on beef, pork, and lamb roasts.
But should you wrap the meat or leave it uncovered? The type of meat and how you plan to cook it are the determining factors.