Should I Put Salt on Roast Beef Before



One of the reasons I started my blog was so that I would take a identify to discuss in detail some of the basic techniques and processes of cooking. Often I am asked questions in class that I can't respond in as much detail as I would like...but because there isn't time. Being able to refer people to my blog gives me a gamble to be a ameliorate teacher.

For well-nigh of November and December I accept devoted my web log to seasonal recipes rather than techniques—because that tends to be what people are in need of at this time of year. As we move into the winter months, I will once more brand an effort to occasionally mail service tutorial-type posts explaining basic techniques. Observant readers may have noticed that a few weeks ago I added a page to my blog that will index posts on basic techniques to make them more than readily accessible.

Today I want to talk a picayune chip about a technique that will make any piece of meat that yous prepare better—whether you are roasting, pan-frying or grilling...whether you are working with beef, pork, chicken (and other fowl) or lamb...and whether you are cooking a big roast, a whole bird or a smaller steak, cutlet or chop. Meat is expensive, it is of import to be able to brand sure the meat you buy tastes as good every bit it can.

The technique—pre-salting—is straightforward and easy to understand, execute and incorporate into daily nutrient preparation. If y'all are a seasoned melt, you have probably already heard of and are using this technique. But maybe not. Too frequently I assume people know more than than they do. I was reminded of this when I was helping a relative fix some beautiful, prime quality rib-eye steaks that they had purchased for Christmas dinner. This was someone who cooks for their family unit—from scratch—regularly, only they were not familiar with pre-salting.

Pre-salting is exactly what it sounds like. It is applying table salt to the meat ahead of time. For years the standard advice to cooks was not to table salt until immediately before the meat went into the pan or oven. Some Chefs and cooking teachers went and then far as to suggest not salting until the cooking process had already begun, or was over. Salting before the last minute was thought to dry the meat out. If y'all take always salted a piece of meat and immune it to sit on the counter for a few moments you have noticed beads of liquid beginning to puddle on the surface of the meat...the salt is indeed drawing the liquid out of the meat.

If cooked at this indicate the meat will in all likelihood be dry out (much of its moisture is on the surface rather than the interior). Furthermore, the meat will not brown well—the moisture on the surface encourages steaming or poaching rather than browning. To obtain meats that are well-browned, the surfaces should always be dry before being put in the pan, in the oven, or on the grill.

If the meat is allowed to go along to sit for a longer period of time after it has been salted, it will begin to reabsorb the (at present salty) liquid. The amount of time tin be as short equally a few hours....or equally long as a day or two for very large roasts or birds. My relative was very surprised when he pulled his steaks out of the refrigerator, a day afterward salting them, to find that the surfaces of the steaks were dry.

The obvious question of class is—why would y'all get to the trouble of doing this? Well, I notice that meats that have been pre-salted are well-seasoned throughout and consequently much more flavorful. If y'all employ herbs or pepper and other spices to the meat when you salt information technology, yous will also detect that the salt helps these flavors to permeate the meat more fully. Ultimately, flavor lonely makes pre-salting a worth-while practice as far as I'thousand concerned.

Judy Rogers in her Zuni Café Cookbook makes the instance that pre-salting makes meats juicier and more tender. Because I don't take the science groundwork to explain why this may or may not be then (I happen to think it probably is), I won't argue these points here. Rather, I would encourage those interested in a more all-encompassing treatment of pre-salting to become her book. It is a wonderful cookbook—total of good recipes and written by a chef who wants her readers to empathise what they are doing...not simply blindly follow her recipes.

To pre-common salt a piece of meat: Remove it from its packaging, rinse and dry out it, if necessary, salt the meat evenly all over, place it in a non-reactive container (drinking glass or stainless steel are both fine), cover it loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until about an 60 minutes or two before you lot program to cook information technology. Pulling the meat out of the refrigerator an hour or so before it volition exist cooked allows the meat to come up to room temperature and will help it to cook more than evenly. It is non necessary to rinse the meat right before yous cook it. If there is any moisture on the surface, simply blot it with a paper towel. Pre-salted meat does not need to exist salted once again before it is cooked. Other than that, the meat may be cooked as usual.

The amount of table salt you lot use when yous pre-common salt is really up to your palate. I like to utilize about 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat—if role of the weight is bone, then perhaps slightly less salt. For smaller cuts of meat, salting tin be washed several hours ahead (perhaps before you leave for piece of work for a steak, chop or cutlet to be cooked that evening). For a large roast or a chicken (or turkey), a twenty-four hours or two is fine.

My habit and preference is to utilise kosher salt. Y'all may substitute another salt—preferably a body of water salt of some kind rather than iodized table common salt. Merely since salts vary in saltiness, according to their source and how coarse or fine they are, if you choose to use something other than kosher salt, you will need to experiment with the amount per pound that you like to apply.

Y'all will notice that in all my discussion of pre-salting, I have never mentioned fish or shell fish. This is because I don't pre-salt fish. Judy Rogers says that she does—normally a few hours in advance. I have never had good luck with this. I notice that pre-salted fish is a scrap chewy—virtually tough.

Finally, I don't always pre-common salt. If I'm thinking ahead, or planning a dinner for a client, I always do because information technology always improves the flavor. Sometimes though, I'm just trying to get dinner on the table. In which example, I simply follow the time honored practise of salting the meat right before I cook it.

I tin't shut this post, which has been largely devoted to the use of common salt, without adding 1 final thought about salt. Delight don't be afraid of it! I firmly believe that the excessive level of sodium in the average American diet is non due to the salt that is added to meats and fresh vegetables that are cooked from scratch in a home kitchen.  If y'all salt your home cooked, fresh foods with a sufficient amount of table salt to delight your palate, you lot will enjoy your domicile cooked foods more and will be far less probable to eat prepared and processed foods that already have more table salt in them than yous can possibly imagine.

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Source: http://www.forloveofthetable.com/2010/12/process-of-pre-salting-meat.html

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