Opinions differ so widely that one can speak of two poles.
Some say meat should be salted before roasting or grilling . The others swear stone and leg that you should only work with salt afterwards.
Some say salt binds the liquid in the meat, making it juicier. Others claim that the salt draws the water out of the meat and makes it dry.
Now what is correct? As always, it all comes down to one thing: the right amount.
Table salt (sodium chloride) is a natural flavor enhancer. Used correctly, it can emphasize the natural (!) taste of a food. In other words, if it tastes salty, then there was too much salt in it.
In the CHEFS’ CLASS, pieces of meat are always salted before preparation. But how do you calculate the right amount of salt? It depends on the concentration.
If you want to be sure, do the following:
- Weigh the piece of meat
- Measure out the same weight of cold water
- Weigh out 1% salt from the total weight (meat + water) and dissolve in the water
- Put the meat in
- 20-30 minutes is enough for pan-frying. Very large pieces can also be left in the brine overnight, a whole turkey even 2 days.
- After the time has elapsed, the salt concentration in the meat and the water is the same: 1% by weight.
- The result: The meat is juicy, tastes intense and not salty
If you still want to sprinkle your steak with fleur de sel after roasting or grilling, you can still do so without any risk.
Notice:
It’s different with spices. Pepper and other herbal spices and herbs burn when exposed to high heat and become bitter. So always add after roasting or grilling.
