Salt

Discussion in 'Rusty's Grill' started by Woland, Feb 24, 2007.

  1. Woland

    Woland 500+ Posts

    I cooked a Batali recipe this evening for steak. It was borderline too salty for my taste, and I am pretty sure it was too salty for a couple of my guests. I used Mediterranean sea salt. My wife loves to pour salt on her steak, so it was perfect for her. What is everyone's opinion on salt?
     
  2. Smoky Brisket

    Smoky Brisket 100+ Posts

    i love salt.

    Did the recipe call for sea salt? Because 1 tsp of sea salt doesnt equal 1 tsp of table salt, etc.
     
  3. BrûléeOrange

    BrûléeOrange 500+ Posts

  4. DoobieWah

    DoobieWah 500+ Posts

    I love salt.

    I have no Morton's at all, (blech), but I do have:

    French Fleur deSel
    French Sel Gris
    Maldon's Crystals
    Kosher
    Brazilian Amazon Basin Sea Salt
    Virgin Island's Salt Island Sea Salt
    Hawaiian Pink Salt
    English Alderwood Smoked Salt
    Roland's Sea Salt, (my default)

    and then of course, there's
    My Mom's Seasoning Salt
    Tony Chachere's Seasoning Salt
    and a few other misc commercial blends.

    It truly is the "one" ingredient I couldn't live without.





    [​IMG]
     
  5. mrteabiscuit

    mrteabiscuit 25+ Posts

    I second Kosher salt, but I'm no salt connoisseur like DoobieWah. I'll have to try some of those salts too.
     
  6. brntorng

    brntorng 2,500+ Posts

    This is one thing about cooking that I've never understood. Why all the salt variations? Isn't it all NaCl and should be equivalent by weight (not necessarily by volume)?
     
  7. wild_turkey

    wild_turkey 250+ Posts

    Salt is the ****. Anything that lacks flavor can be fixed with a little salt. Beef, ham, pasta, veggies, margaritas, ice cream, you name it.
     
  8. LazyEngineer

    LazyEngineer 500+ Posts


     
  9. pmg

    pmg 1,000+ Posts

    Table salt? I almost never use the stuff. A salt shaker lasts me years without a refill.
     
  10. DallasCowpoke

    DallasCowpoke 500+ Posts

    f you ever get a chance, you have to watch Good Eats - Eat This Rock. In this episode Alton Brown explains everything you ever wanted to know about salt.

    Different salts do have different tastes, but some are also more specific in their use then others (like pickling or rock salt).

    I mainly use Kosher salt and fresh ground sea salt in my cooking. I like the taste of them better and to me they seems to enhances the flavor of the food better without making it taste salty

    I use gray salt in some cases, but it has a distinct mineral taste to me, and regular table salt just tastes too salty.
     
  11. ImissWallyPryor

    ImissWallyPryor 1,000+ Posts

    Mortan's (Morton's? Morten's?) Kosher salt is possibly the best all-around salt you can buy. It's great on everything from eggs to spaghetti sauce to steak. It won't work on popcorn, however.
     
  12. brntorng

    brntorng 2,500+ Posts

    From the Food Network

    Q: What is the difference between kosher salt, sea salt, and table salt?

    A: For the cook's purposes, the main difference between salts is in their texture. Table salt's fine granules dissolve quickly, making it the preferred salt of bakers. Sea salt and kosher salt possess larger, irregular grains that add a delightful crunch and hit of briny flavor when sprinkled on food at the last minute. Generally, savvy cooks prefer kosher salt when cooking, since its coarse texture is easier to take a pinch of when seasoning savory dishes.

    Chemically there is little difference between kitchen salts. All are at least 97 1/2 percent sodium chloride. But there are significant differences in the provenance and processing of these salts.

    Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits, and includes a small portion of calcium silicate, an anti-caking agent added to prevent clumping. It possesses very fine crystals and a sharp taste. Because of its fine grain a single teaspoon of table salt contains more salt than a tablespoon of kosher or sea salt.

    Sea salt is harvested from evaporated seawater and receives little or no processing, leaving in tact the minerals from the water it came from. These minerals flavor and color the salt slightly. However, because these salts often come at a dear price, it is worth keeping in mind that they lose their unique flavor when cooked or dissolved.

    Kosher salt takes its name from its use in the koshering process. It contains no preservatives and can be derived from either seawater or underground sources. Aside from being a great salt to keep within arm's reach when you are cooking, it is particularly useful in preserving, because its large crystals draw moisture out of meats and other foods more effectively than other salts.

    –Food Network Kitchens
     
  13. brntorng

    brntorng 2,500+ Posts

    Cook's Illustrated just published a study of various salts for various uses. Interesting results. Free linky,
     
  14. Napoleon

    Napoleon 2,500+ Posts

    I'm not a salt person. I think that it is definitely needed at times (like guacamole), but I try not to use it.

    At times, I can taste something and know that I am going to drink 3-4 glasses of water and 2-4 glasses of wine/bottles of beer and still not pee for 6-10 hours. I do NOT like that feeling, because I know that I'm going to be bloated and want to go to sleep.

    Salt should be used in moderation and then let others add to taste.
     
  15. scottsins

    scottsins 1,000+ Posts

    smoked sea salt pwns.

    i hate when people...strike that your honor.

    i hate people who shake table salt on their dish prior to tasting it. that chef has been trained on how to create dishes with the perfect flavor. they don't need your help in food prep.
     
  16. Idahorn2

    Idahorn2 250+ Posts

    There is even a book titled Salt, by Mark Kurlansky (who also wrote a book "Cod"). Makes a pretty good point that civilization is based on it. It is also the only rock we eat.

    Tabasco sauce is made on Avery Island because there is an extremely pure salt dome beneath the island; the peppers are not native to the island.

    We use only four salts: table, Kosher, sea, and ice cream.
     
  17. Fanny McLonghorn

    Fanny McLonghorn 100+ Posts


     
  18. Napoleon

    Napoleon 2,500+ Posts

    I'm guessing that you're referring to my post... [​IMG]

    When cooking for myself, I choose not to use salt.

    When cooking for others (which I never do), I would definitely err on the side of moderation. If you make the food so the taste is "perfect", but a third of the people choose not to eat it because it is "too salty", then you are a GREAT CHEF!!
    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Adding salt is NOTHING like undercooking meat. If it were, then every table would have a salt shaker, a pepper shaker, and a GRILL!!! [​IMG]
     
  19. S197HQQKEM

    S197HQQKEM 500+ Posts


     
  20. brntorng

    brntorng 2,500+ Posts

    Read the Cook's Illustrated article linked above. Morton's was actually best for some uses.
     

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