The salt trick cooks use most recipes never explain

You have already seen it: “generous salt”. “Season everywhere.” “Generous on both sides.” These instructions appear in almost all recipes for steaks, chops, entire birds, entire fish and roast – but what do you actually mean? How generous is “generous” exactly? A few self -confident pin? A thick, snow -covered crust?

For something as important as salting before cooking, this type of language can be frustrating. I once saw how two good friends visit an entire turkey with a couple of bright sprinkles – it could not have been more than one or two teaspoons – and call it a day. If you got this from “generous salt”, we may have a problem.

Here I speak especially about the ointment of proteins – faes, poultry and fish –before Cooking for the best taste and the best texture. That’s not about Spices to the tasteIn which you salt a dish while cooking and adapt when walking. Instead, I concentrate on how to use salt on Rohe proteins before they hit the heat – how much to use, how to use it evenly and why it is important. It is also worth mentioning whether you are planning Dry brine their meat (And you should probably have it cooked immediately or cook immediately, the key is generous to ensure that everyone is consistently spicy.

Start with the right salt

Before I can dive into the salt and how much you have to use, you first have to select the right salt. There is a reason why most restaurant chefs live and breathe kosher salt: it is easy to grasp, easy to see and easy to control.

The slightly coarse grains of Kosher Salt make it ideal for the spice proteins – you can distribute them evenly by hand and visually measure how much you have used. Table salt, on the other hand, is much finer and denser. Try to “saline generously” and you will probably exceed and end with a steak that tastes like a salt leak. (With serious Eat we prefer diamond crystal cosher salt for its light, airy flakes, which are easy to pinch and evenly distribute.)

Flaky sea salts like Maldon may seem appealing, but their large, sensitive crystals dissolve inconsistently. They are also much more expensive than kosher salt, which you may have enough. Save them at the end when you want this crisp, salty pop on a cooked surface.

Why should you skip the measuring spoon

Some recipe developers include precise salt measurements for seasoning large meat cuts, especially if they strive for highly controlled, reproducible results. And that can sometimes be helpful – especially if you cook something delicate. But I have determined that it is not practical when it comes to seasoning a large piece of meat or fish when it comes to measuring salt through the spoon.

If you measure salt with a spoon, you will probably pour it with the same measuring spoon. Do this and you will see the problem immediately: the lumps of salt in some places, miss others and leave them with spotty spice. Nobody wants in the next concentrated salt blips in a bite and the dignity.

There is also no reliable way to know how much of the measured salt adheres to the meat to which the board, the counter or your fingers fall. It is not necessary to season your work area.

Therefore, Prok chefs rarely measure salt when they season meat. It is a learned touch that has been developed over time by observing how salt lands, how it clings, how much cover there is. But the nice thing about visual salts is that you can control it – it is more intuitive than it sounds. They are not tied to a number on a spoon. They look at the surface of the meat and learn to recognize when it is enough. It is an intimate way of cooking.

How to choke meat like a professional

As soon as you have released the measuring spoon, it’s all about training your eye, and a little practice is enough for a long way. The aim is to create a uniform, consistent coverage over the surface of the protein, so that everyone is properly seasoned.

• For larger cuts-like for example RibeyePresent Rack from lambthick Tuna steaksPresent Whole fishAnd entire chicken – they aim at an even, visible layer over the surface. Since you do not season the interior, the exterior must carry the weight. I like to keep the salt a few centimeters over it and drop it evenly until the surface is coated in a fine layer that resembles the first dust of snow. You should almost be able to hear the weak ring of the Christmas lounger while you go.
• For thinner, smaller portions– like a fillet of sole Or trout, smaller chicken pieces or a schnitzel – the approach is slightly shifting. You still want the full cover, but with a more reserved hand. Imagine it more like a fog than a coating: enough to cover the surface, but not enough to stack yourself.

Here are a few more pro-level tips that apply to both categories mentioned above:

• Sprinkle the salt from a few centimeters above the meat, poultry or fish. This additional height helps to fall in a light, even layer, which means that you insure better coverage and prevent lumps or bare stains.
• Season all sides. Each surface counts, especially with Whole fish or Chicken. This includes cavities, subpages and hidden parts.

Salt as you mean

“Salt the meat generous” is not a disposable line – it is a call for the season on purpose. You don’t have to measure spoons or calculators. What you need is the right salt, a good eye and self -confidence to actually use it. Watch how the salt falls, see how it clings, and search for this even coating or the light fog, depending on what you cook. Trust your eyes and fingers, and you will have juicy steaks, chops and roasts of chickens every time.