GETTING

TO KNOW

Salt

Our bodies require salt for survival; our dinners require

it to taste good. Properly salting food is one of the most

important skills in all of cooking. by Scott Kathan

Two Paths to Deep Seasoning

Brine

Brining means submerg-

ing meat (most often

poultry or pork) in a salt

solution so that the salt

penetrates the meat,

increasing the meat’s

ability to hold moisture.

This helps lean cuts stay

moist and juicy. Some-

times we add sugar or

spices to the brine for

extra fl avor.

Dry Salt

We often salt large cuts

of meat (such as roasts

and whole birds) in

advance. Given enough

time (1 to 24 hours), the

salt travels into the meat.

In addition to seasoning

it, salt helps the meat

hold on to moisture to

remain juicy throughout

cooking and softens and

dissolves some meat

proteins to result in a

more tender texture.

Salty Ingredients

Use a light hand when seasoning recipes that

contain salty ingredients such as these: capers, soy

sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce,

ketchup, hot sauce, fi sh sauce, and olives.

Salting While Cooking

Salting in stages helps prevent oversalting, as variations in ingredients (how

fatty your chicken thighs are, for instance) and burner strength can impact fl a-

vor and seasoning. For the most well-rounded seasoning, salt foods early in the

cooking process and then taste and add more if needed at the end. If you over-

salt a savory dish, you can try adding acid or a sweetener to balance the salt;

you can also add more nonsalty ingredients such as more pasta or vegetables.

Which

Salt

Should

I Use?

The three most com-

mon types of salt used

in cooking are table,

kosher, and sea salt. We

use table salt in baking

because it dissolves

into batters and doughs

most readily; we usu-

ally season meats with

kosher salt because

its large grains make it

easier to feel how much

salt we’re applying. While

large-fl aked, crunchy,

mineral-y sea salt can

be great sprinkled over

roasted and grilled meat

or vegetables, we don’t

call for it in recipes

because irregularities (in

size and fl avor) among

products make it hard to

get consistent results.

Equivalents:

1 teaspoon table salt

1½ teaspoons

Morton Kosher Salt

2 teaspoons

Diamond Crystal

Kosher Salt

When recipes

(including ours)

don’t specify the

type of salt, use

table salt.

Cold temperatures

dull the salt

receptors in our

mouths, so season

cold foods more

assertively.

Once one

of the world’s most

valuable traded

commodities, salt

allowed for the

preservation of foods

such as fi sh, meat,

and cabbage.

Sweet and Savory

Salt’s not just for savory foods: Most cakes,

cookies, and other confections contain salt

to help enhance their fl avor. Even most fruit

tastes better with a light sprinkling of salt.

Skeptical? Try the pineapple challenge:

Take two pieces of freshly cut pineapple,

lightly sprinkle one of them with salt, and

taste them side by side. The salted version

should taste sweeter and more complex.

Salt from up High

“Raining” salt on foods from

a high-held hand serves a

practical purpose—the

higher the salting point

(within reason), the more

even coverage you get.

Too Much of a Good Thing?
Be conservative when seasoning stocks and broths that you
are going to reduce: The salt will become more prominent
as the stock becomes more concentrated. In general,
home-cooked dishes contain far less sodium than pro-
Illu cessed foods such as chips, crackers, and frozen meals do.

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