Making the most of out salt and pepper

[SirPorkaLot]

I’ll leave you with these salty thoughts.

Sea Salt:

-Can be processed or non-processed (unrefined)

-Is mislabeled most of the time
I.e. Himalayan salt is NOT a Sea Salt, it is a rock salt, mined in Pakistan. The pink hue comes from the iron content, which also makes it bitter

-Cheap Sea Salt comes from Mexico or the SF Bay Area is CA
yes... the south end of the bay contains huge Cargill salt flats, this salt is heavily processed to remove all the good stuff and bad stuff, leaving just the NaCl components, popularly marketed as Pacific Sea Salt

- The purest sea salt comes from the Mediterranean where it is naturally processed the way it has been traditional for hundreds of years. Dried by the sun and crushed by windmills. No other processing is done to this salt.

You also have mineral salts (from dried sea beds), Rock Salt (was a sea millions of years ago), your everyday table salt (iodine and sugars added)

Even within these categories you have different geometries, which also effect how the salt tastes.
Flake, pyramid, crystal, flat, etc...

There is a whole lot more to salt than NaCl and unless you are just dissolving it in water and drinking (which is the best way to level the playing field), then they all will affect tastes differently

 

[food4thot]

That's it! I just need a grinder and I'm good to go!

A couple things about the salt. In case you didn't see this at the link I posted:

The original and most trusted sea salt brand, referenced in more culinary and nutritional books and journals than any other salt in the world. Celtic Sea Salt® is authentic, unprocessed, whole salt from pristine coastal regions. Our salts retain the natural balance and spectrum of essential minerals, supplying the body with over 74 vital trace minerals and elements.

Light Grey Celtic® is a mineral-rich, whole crystal (coarse), moist salt that is completely unrefined and hand harvested. Dried by the sun and the wind; it retains the ocean's moisture, locking in a vast array of vital trace elements. Light Grey Celtic® gets its light grey hue from the pure clay lining of the salt beds where it is harvested.

Light Grey Celtic® is perfect for use in a grinder and for cooking. The whole crystals dissolve with heat and moisture, enhancing food with its rustic, old-world flavor while adding vital nutrients to your diet.

It comes damp in the bag. It's best to take some out and put on a plate to air dry before filling the grinder. I also put some in a Ball jar to use for cooking. Twist tie the bag closed. I keep mine in a sealed 5 gallon bucket.

This salt grinder is adjustable and works better than others I've tried.

 

[IamMadMan]

I'm going to go against the grain here (get it)

salt. quality matters. kosher or sea salt. iodine salt burns. get med to course flakes.

Very fussy about salt. Haven't kept regular table salt in the house in 20 years. Has a bitter, metallic taste. Use kosher salt for boiling potatoes and pasta. Use celtic sea salt for everything else. Buy it in 22# bags that last me 4-5 years. It is course so needs a salt grinder for table use. Very mild taste. No bitterness.

Even within these categories you have different geometries, which also effect how the salt tastes. Flake, pyramid, crystal, flat, etc...

There is a whole lot more to salt than NaCl and unless you are just dissolving it in water and drinking (which is the best way to level the playing field), then they all will affect tastes differently

I don't mean to digress or get off track, but I believe that salt is one of the most misunderstood items for many cooks.


As Smoke Ninja, SirPorkalot, and food4thot pointed out; some salts can have a metallic taste, or can become bitter when used in cooking, not only from the iodine but from the anti-clumping agents (sodium aluminosilicate and others). It's also not well suited for sausage making or curing meats either.


In my personal opinion, any commercially refined salt should be avoided due to some of the additives. But that's just my personal opinion.


Like SirPorkalot stated: Salt comes in many forms: kernels, flakes, and crystals of varied sizes and shapes. Salt also comes in many sizes: Extra Course, Course, Fine, Extra Fine, and Ultra Fine.


Keep in mind that the size and form of salt will greatly affect how the taste buds / taste receptors transmit the presence to our neurons.

I always encourage the students I come in contact with to explore the different types of salts. Salt isn't just the salts in our cabinet that we have become comfortable with, but we should try explore the new world of salt waiting for us that affects the way we eat and what we taste.

Some types of natural salt also come with formations of varied crystal sizes like celtic gray salt that food4thot illustrated. The varied crystals not only give a balance, but the natural minerals contained within can give added flavor and health benefits.

Here are a couple lessons on salt I posted online awhile back for those who may have an interest...
Salt - The Basics
Salt - Understanding the Differences

Keep in mind that many have never heard of these salts, let alone come in contact with them. My discussion isn't so much as the type of salt, but rather the flavors the different salts can impart. Basic salt can be just a dry taste in your mouth, whereas others can be mellow and smooth, while others are like sparks or fireworks of flavor in your mouth.



It's all a personal choice and preference, which can be just as confusing as deciding which one to try first.



.

 

[Monkey Uncle]

It’s your opinion...
It’s wrong...but you are still allowed to have it :becky:

I am 3.5 years into my mission to prove to the BBQ world that Salt is the single most important ingredient in your bbq rubs.

Being from NC where salt is the only seasoning used on pork, I found out a long time ago, type and size of salt does matter.

The “fancy gourmet salt” is all we use in our seasoning blends and is all I will use on my bbq.

Our seasonings are incredibly popular.. not because we add a bunch of other spices (we don’t add but a few select herbs and spices to our “fancy gourmet salt”), but because the salt is superior to any other mass marketed seasonings on the market.

So I do encourage you to step outside the salt box (yes I went there [emoji4] )and see what you are missing.

I respect your very experienced opinion, but I respect blind taste test results even more. Until I see some real evidence that people can taste the difference between sea salt (or Himalayan, or whatever) and plain old kosher salt, table salt, etc. when used in a typical pre-cook BBQ application, I am not inclined to believe it.

Now if you're talking about adding herbs and spices to your salt, obviously that is going to make a difference. But then that is not just salt anymore; it is salt plus some other seasonings.

I grew up in NC and lived there until I was in my mid-thirties. I ate a lot of fantastic eastern and piedmont Q (and plenty of mediocre Q also). I don't recall any of those joints talking up the kind of salt they were using.

I'm not trying to bash your products or anything, but I have an evidence-based worldview, and so far I haven't seen any evidence that the type of salt makes much difference (again, I'm talking about just salt, not salt plus herbs and spices).

 

[smoke ninja]

thanks for the info Bob. as always your posts add depth and clarity to the conversation.

I try and use the best ingredients I can afford. even if the benefits are small it's worth the small cost. some guys are cooking Waygu briskets on custom smokers. cant see a few bucks for fancy salt being a deal breaker.

 

[SirPorkaLot]

I respect your very experienced opinion, but I respect blind taste test results even more. Until I see some real evidence that people can taste the difference between sea salt (or Himalayan, or whatever) and plain old kosher salt, table salt, etc. when used in a typical pre-cook BBQ application, I am not inclined to believe it.



Now if you're talking about adding herbs and spices to your salt, obviously that is going to make a difference. But then that is not just salt anymore; it is salt plus some other seasonings.



I grew up in NC and lived there until I was in my mid-thirties. I ate a lot of fantastic eastern and piedmont Q (and plenty of mediocre Q also). I don't recall any of those joints talking up the kind of salt they were using.



I'm not trying to bash your products or anything, but I have an evidence-based worldview, and so far I haven't seen any evidence that the type of salt makes much difference (again, I'm talking about just salt, not salt plus herbs and spices).

I’m not seeing anything offensive in what you said.

I always encourage lively discussion on topics close to my heart.
(I’m not always right, but I’m rarely wrong. )

 

[food4thot]

thanks for the info Bob. as always your posts add depth and clarity to the conversation.

I try and use the best ingredients I can afford. even if the benefits are small it's worth the small cost. some guys are cooking Waygu briskets on custom smokers. cant see a few bucks for fancy salt being a deal breaker.

That's my opinion also. If you buy "fancy salt" the way I do the cost ratio between it and processed, bad-tasting salt is maybe 8:1...pennies a day. $15-20 a year at most in my usage. Well worth the cost for better tasting food and a product that is nutritionally superior.

The argument you can't tell the difference on smoked or grilled meat might be valid. Would be a blind taste test I'd like to try. Have had Q from restaurants that was plainly over-salted and my guess is they used table salt or kosher. Using celtic sea salt at home, have never experienced an over-salting issue. It's very forgiving and really easy to use.

To any curious to know the taste difference between salts, do a straight up taste test. Line up celtic sea salt, Himalayan, Hawaiian, fleur de sel, and any other fancy salt(s) side-by-side. Wet your index finger and dab a few crystals/flakes to try each one in whatever order you want. Use water or whatever you want as a palate cleanser between each.

When you're done trying the fancy salts, do the same with kosher. Save table salt for last. You will learn how bad it tastes compared to everything else.

All the cooking shows tell you not cook with wine you wouldn't drink. Salt is much the same. Remember sprinkling the last table salt I had on my front porch to help melt an icy patch.

 

[qnbiker]

I keep a shaker with a 3/1 mix of kosher salt and course ground pepper with 1/2 part granulated garlic and 1/2 part onion powder. Great for all beef dishes. For those of you who judge quality of ingredients, it's Kroger kosher salt and Tones for everything else.

 

[food4thot]

bump.

mods: Any way to merge this thread with "The Great Salt Taste Test" thread?

 

[EyeBurnEverything]

Bludawg recommendation for S&P


BluDawgs Brisket

K.I S.S. some of the best brisket you will ever eat! Total cook time including the rest 8 hrs or less. I promise it will be as moist as mornin dew on the lilly, tender as a mothers love, pure beefy smoky goodness.

1 packer 12-15 lb
Trim off the hard fat on each side of the flat thin the fat cap to 1/4"

Mix your Rub
1 part kosher salt 4 parts Med grind Black peppa by volume( this is a true 50/50 BY weight)
apply a coat of rub you need to be able to see the meat through the rub clearly.

Pre heat the pit to 300 deg
place brisket on the pit Fat Cap Down and point to the firebox unless it is a RF cooker then point to away from FB

Maintain pit between 275-325 if cookin on a stick burner
cook Brisket 4 hrs
remove from pit wrap in a single layer of Butcher paper Return to pit Fat cap up.
after 1 hr probe the thicket part of the Flat only! If it isn't *probe tender it should be within 1 hr.
once it is probe tender remove from the pit keep it wrapped in the paper you cooked it in and allow it to rest on your counter until the Internal temp reaches 150 this will take about two hrs.
Don't ever slice more than you can eat big pieces retain moisture and won't dry up on you like slices will.
*PROBE TENDER>This is the feel that is mimicked by cutting room temperature butter with a hot knife, there should be no drag

1:4 salt and pepper ratio is way too much pepper. I love vigorously shaking pepper on just about everything but that's way too much for me. It must be a Texas thing because i can't think of any friends/family that would eat anything with that much pepper on it here on the east coast.

 

[qnbiker]

I keep a shaker with a 3/1 mix of kosher salt and course ground pepper with 1/2 part granulated garlic and 1/2 part onion powder. Great for all beef dishes. For those of you who judge quality of ingredients, it's Kroger kosher salt and Tones for everything else.

Reading some of the other posts, I think I need to qualify mine. The above is for general applications where you would use seasoning salt. For rubs, I don't use nearly that much salt and more pepper.