Rub, brine and general salt use question.

[spinningwheel]

Just got out of the hospital after going through my first ever heart attack and have a whole new set of marching orders if I am going to avoid another, so thought I would ask the brethren that I trust most about this.
Since I cannot ever again use a salt rub, salt brine, bacon, fatty sausage or such in my Q, how am I going to get along?
I'm sure I'm not the first here with this newly acquired problem and would really appreciate some guidance before I just sell the backyard cooking stuff and settle for boiled chicken and asparagus the rest of my life.:doh:
Any good rubs, brine or non-fatty suggestions?

 

[RolandJT]

Glad you're still with us.

My dad had to change his diet for the same reason.

Pork loin is good with minimal seasoning if you give it low temp smoke for a little while (.5-1 hours) and then finish off on a hot grill till 145 or so. use hickory, walnut, etc--something strong since time is so little.


Turkey breast is also OK.

I also like smoked tomato sauce--amazingly good with very little oil. Just smoke some tomatoes and garlic and put through a food mill. Add wine, onion, carrots, fresh parsley and simmer over stove for a bit and you'll have an amazing sauce.

 

[dadsr4]

Fish is great grilled, and any lean cut of meat can be grilled. Learn about spices, my wife avoids salt and does not miss it in what I cook for her. For myself, I automatically cut any salt amount in a rub in half and do not miss it at all. There are many here who can give you good info.

 

[Bludawg]

The way I see it you got three choices #1) live on salad and grill chicken Skinless of course, #2) tell the doc "Fark off I'll eat as I please & I'm gonna die happy then get a "Don't Restart" Tat on your chest #3) Put up with #1) until you can't take it any more and fall back to #2. since you can't live forever might as well go out Fat & Sassy. That is my strategy probably not for everyone but at least it was free.

 

[KBird]

I may be wrong about this, but as I understand it, when you brine something, the salt pulls the moisture out of the meat. I seems that if you brined it overnite and then washed it pretty well, there would be very little salt, if any, left.

Now it is a different story with rubs. There I think you would have to make your own rubs and eliminate the salt...maybe step up the pepper instead! IMO.

 

[Redneck Smoker]

here is a place that sells salt free rubs... never tried them but just offering a link ...
http://dizzypigbbq.com/products/seasonings/

 

[tpope]

I believe in moderation concerning all things. I assure you that I will live until I die. Pork will always be a part of my diet... in moderation. As will beef, deer, lamb, turkey, chicken, duck, quail, and etc.... they all have a place alongside my vegetables. Variety... it's the spice of life.

I wish you the best in regaining your strength and health. May you have many more years.

 

[1buckie]

"Since I cannot ever again use a salt rub, salt brine, bacon, fatty sausage or such in my Q, how am I going to get along?"


Can you do properly rendered pork?

If so, this rub is Ethiopian Berbere spice, wildly flavorful, zero salt, unless it's there from some of the spices organically, works great on all kinds of things besides ribs, too !!!!

I just leave out the salt......personally think salt's overrated.............

Ingredients
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1⁄2 tsp. black peppercorns
1⁄4 tsp. whole allspice
6 white cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1⁄2 cup dried onion flakes
5 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed, seeded,
and broken into small pieces
3 tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Directions
1. In a small skillet, combine coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, allspice, cardamom pods, and cloves. Toast spices over medium heat, swirling skillet constantly, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.
2. Let cool slightly; transfer to a spice grinder along with onion flakes and grind until fine. Add chilies, and grind with the other spices until fine.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in paprika, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

From Here:

http://www.marcussamuelsson.com/recipe/berbere-spice-blend-recipe

More:

http://www.marcussamuelsson.com/tips-2/how-to-make-your-own-spice-blends-berbere

You don't have to go out & get each & every one of the ingredients, some can be had compounded already & pre-ground can be used..........

 

[Brew n Que]

I may be wrong about this, but as I understand it, when you brine something, the salt pulls the moisture out of the meat. I seems that if you brined it overnite and then washed it pretty well, there would be very little salt, if any,

This is not true. With brining, the salt is actually pentetrating into the meat and bringing water with it, so you are increasing salt and moisture content. Same thing basically happens with the salt in a dry rub, only extra moisture is not brought into the meat with the salt.

Unfortunately, there is no culinary replacement for salt, and it is pretty much required for good food. However, if you lower the salt content of all the foods you eat, your taste buds adjust and you get used to it. I would stay away from brines and stick to dry rubs. Just make your own and cut the salt content.

 

[grantw]

Dont mess around, switch to herbs, even go nakid

 

[Whitewookie]

"Since I cannot ever again use a salt rub, salt brine, bacon, fatty sausage or such in my Q, how am I going to get along?"


Can you do properly rendered pork?

If so, this rub is Ethiopian Berbere spice, wildly flavorful, zero salt, unless it's there from some of the spices organically, works great on all kinds of things besides ribs, too !!!!

I just leave out the salt......personally think salt's overrated.............

Ingredients
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1⁄2 tsp. black peppercorns
1⁄4 tsp. whole allspice
6 white cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1⁄2 cup dried onion flakes
5 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed, seeded,
and broken into small pieces
3 tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Directions
1. In a small skillet, combine coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, allspice, cardamom pods, and cloves. Toast spices over medium heat, swirling skillet constantly, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.
2. Let cool slightly; transfer to a spice grinder along with onion flakes and grind until fine. Add chilies, and grind with the other spices until fine.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in paprika, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

From Here:

http://www.marcussamuelsson.com/recipe/berbere-spice-blend-recipe

More:

http://www.marcussamuelsson.com/tips-2/how-to-make-your-own-spice-blends-berbere

You don't have to go out & get each & every one of the ingredients, some can be had compounded already & pre-ground can be used..........

Definitely looks low salt... But not "zero salt"....

VR,
Harold

 

[Enrico Brandizzi]

I'm sorry Spinningwheel for the heart problems. Mine was in 2009 at 45. Then I changed way of life, doing 1 -2 hours /day tapis roulant and ciclette and eating always white meat chicken a very little pork and a lot of veggies and tuna and salmon. But in 2013 I discovered BBQ. So I do not give up to NORMAL BBQ (w/o bacon) once a week with some red meat.
For me and my cardiologist all depends on quantity. Quantity in number of times per week and quantity of meat eaten (normally not too much).
Just to be honest, I eat 4 pills each day!
Don't be too radical with your diet (IMO)!!!!!!

 

[landarc]

Big Ron's and Dizzy Pig offer salt-free or low salt rubs. Mrs. Dash is also actually quite good, get the one with no salt. Now, I am no cardiologist or dietician, but, have you consulted with your doctor and dietician on just how much sodium you are allowed?

I have been through this drill, both with my mom, my dad and myself, and from what I can recall, you are allowed between 1000 and 1500 milligrams of sodium a day, Sounds like nothing and initially, tastes like nothing. But, over a 6 month period, you can get to where you don't miss the salt at all, and even where many other places taste too salty. All of that being said, you can make a pretty good chunk of meat with almost no salt and a balancing of black pepper and something like Mrs. Dash or Dizzy Pig to punch up other flavors.

 

[YetiDave]

Can you use any salt? At all? I'd suggest starting to weigh out salt, so you know exactly what you're ingesting. For example, typically I'd use around 1% salt in burgers - 5g per 500g of meat. If you're allowed a restricted salt diet, maybe you could negotiate a level of sodium intake? A good set of scales could do wonders for you

 

[Toni1948]

Spices can really compensate for a reduction in salt when cooking meats. I was really surprised in the sodium content in foods that I never even thought about. I use a little salt when cooking meats, and keep a close eye on or try to avoid other food/drink items, canned foods, high sodium cheeses, pickled foods, sodas, Chinese Takeout, and I never salt at the table.

I've also reworked old recipes that used processed food items as an ingredient. Lifestyle changes are always hard.

 

[1buckie]

Definitely looks low salt... But not "zero salt"....

VR,
Harold

Thanks for seeing that, but I tried to qualify it first..........


I just leave out the salt......personally think salt's overrated.............

Ingredients
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1⁄2 tsp. black peppercorns
1⁄4 tsp. whole allspice
6 white cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1⁄2 cup dried onion flakes
5 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed, seeded,
and broken into small pieces
3 tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon

IIRC, there's mixes of this also that don't call for any...............

there's some salts in almost all foods, meats & even vegetable matter, for that matter......I've gotten accustomed to not adding it unless it seems to really require the stuff......a few places for me that I just can't do without are fresh tomatoes & hard boiled eggs.....must be a childhood thing, esp. the eggs


The 3 things Landarc mentioned are all in rotation here......Ron's are great rubs, Dizzy, I believe are all herb / spice mixes & Mrs. Dash is just plain good.........

Here's kinda like a general list, content goes way down w/ vegs. except for chickpeas & mung beans & sure enough, all the good stuff like bacon & sausages are high up......

Point being, impossible to avoid, relatively easy to reduce, just take some getting used to.....

http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/info/books-phds/books/foodfacts/html/data/data5a.html

Hope your health improves dramatically, spinning !!!!

 

[IamMadMan]

There is plenty of things you can BBQ / Smoke without the use of salts and brines.

Granted, the used of cured meats like bacon and sausage would be out of the question, but there is so much more out there to enjoy your cooks using simple spices and pepper.

You can even make your own non-cured sausages without salt and hot smoke them. While salt helps to bring out some of the flavors, salt substitutes in small quantities will also work well. Learn to enjoy the spices of the world...

.

 

[Whitewookie]

1buckie... Your are correct sir, my bad. Gotta read everything.... Sorry.

Harold

 

[1buckie]

1buckie... Your are correct sir, my bad. Gotta read everything.... Sorry.

Harold

N/P, man....... I almost stuck it up without looking, too....:roll:


BTW, that's a phenomenal mix......really nice & flavorful, even if salt is on the menu................

The whole area of No. Africa & just to the East on the penninsula has all different kinds of spices that don't normally get used here & a lot are really extra good.......

Also Indian stuff.......

carom seed or ajwain ( can be spelled ajawon):

"Taste and Aroma: Very similar to Thyme's minty flavor, but stronger. Intense, yet pleasant."

http://www.myspicesage.com/ajwain-s...tzV671O78s7FK2W6A_aFtw4uhemsQzcqcQVg3r1vw_wcB

Like a cross between thyme & cumin, but stronger than both....good stuff!!!!

 

[mmascitti]

Don't give up! Your taste will adjust

Unfortunately, there is no culinary replacement for salt, and it is pretty much required for good food. However, if you lower the salt content of all the foods you eat, your taste buds adjust and you get used to it. I would stay away from brines and stick to dry rubs. Just make your own and cut the salt content.

I just want to second this. I grew up in a house that used very little salt in cooking and when I started working in restaurants it took me a long time to adjust to the larger amounts of salt I had to use to prepare food for others.

Taste is something that comes from conditioning. If you use rubs like the one 1buckie posted, up the pepper and other savory ingredients, your taste will adjust.

I play with a lot of eastern Mediterranean flavor profiles that use little salt and still have tons of flavor utilizing this technique.

Have fun and keep enjoying the BBQ!