IMPORTANCE OF SALT

Salt for the uninitiated into the culinary arts is simply something you sprinkle on your food right before you eat to give it flavor. The more you learn how to use salt, however, the more you’ll realize just how important of a role it plays in bringing out the actual flavors of our food, as well as helping to tenderize the meat we eat. There are whole books written about salt and its uses, but in the interest of time let me just offer some basics here that will help you get started on your flavor journey. If you are a 0 out of 10 in your cooking knowledge my hope is to bring you up to a 3 or 4 just by learning how to use salt properly.

PLANNING AHEAD

Using salt properly involves thinking through what you’ll be eating the next day in most cases. When you salt meat with enough time before you cook it goes through a number of chemical reactions that enhance its flavor and texture. It does this by dissolving protein strands into a gel, allowing them to retain water as you cook which results in more tender and juicy meat. If you forget to salt ahead just salt your food and leave it outside the fridge for up to 2 hours before cooking-any amount of time ahead of cooking will yield better flavor than if you didn’t salt at all. Here are a few basic guidelines to get you started on your flavor journey.

FOOD BREAK DOWNS

  • STEAK

    Sprinkle salt on both sides of your steaks 24-48 hours before you plan to cook them. Cover the steaks (ziplock bag, pyrex dish) and put them back in the fridge until about 1-1.5 hours before you plan to cook them. Experiment with just how much salt to use-it’ll take time to perfect it.

  • BURGERS (GROUND MEAT OF ANY SORT)

    I like to salt right when I make burger patties. Salt on one side and let sit outside the fridge for an hour before cooking. This was the gateway drug for me getting into using smoked salts. Cook any way you normally would but if you do so inside on a skillet it’ll fill your house with the lovely aroma of smoke from the salt.

  • PORK

    Salt 24 hours before cooking and remove from the fridge 1-1.5 hours before cooking. The thick fatty portions of meat won’t absorb salt as well so don’t over do it just trying to get more flavor out of it. Salt evenly and enjoy.

  • CHICKEN

    Salt chicken pieces: thighs, breast, drumsticks etc. 12-24 hours before cooking, but salt a whole chicken 24 hours ahead.

  • VEGETABLES

    Salt vegetables about 15 minutes before cooking. Vegetables go through a similar process as meat when salted but in less time. Experiment with how much salt to use but start small and grind coarse salt into smaller pieces if possible.

  • EGGS

    Season fried or hardboiled eggs just before serving, but for scrambled eggs or omelettes salt just before cooking.

EXPERIMENT!

Add smoked salt to soups, chili, salads, buttered or avocado toast, the rim of a cocktail, caramel topping on ice cream, or as a garnish to chocolate chip cookies. The possibilities are endless.