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Overheard a line cook say 'salt is salt' and it changed how I season
Kid was dumping table salt on a $40 steak. I almost yelled at him. Then the sous chef said 'it dissolves faster, he's not wrong.' Tested it myself on a pork chop last service. No difference in taste. Been using cheap kosher salt for years but now I'm wondering if I've been wasting money on fancy sea salt. Anyone else ever try a blind salt test?
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alice_kim19d agoMost Upvoted
Took that water test a step further and used the dissolved salt water to brine chicken thighs. Came out the same every time. It really is just about the texture for finishing and how easy it is to grab with your fingers.
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nina_johnson8619d ago
Did a blind test with a few different salts at home. Diamond Crystal kosher, Morton's, some pink Himalayan, and cheap table salt. Dissolved them all in water first, then tasted. Couldn't tell them apart. Cooked the same steak three times with different salts and nobody at the table noticed. Now I just buy the cheapest kosher salt I can find and keep it in a bowl on the counter. The texture matters for sprinkling but the taste is the same.
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kim.xena19d ago
@nina_johnson86 nailed it with that water test idea, I did the same thing after reading that. Salt is salt once it dissolves, all that fancy pink stuff is just marketing. The only real difference is texture and grain size for finishing, like if you want that crunchy flakey bite on a salad or a steak. Kosher salt is the best everyday thing because it's easy to pinch and sprinkle even, but you don't need to spend more than a few bucks. Table salt gets a bad rep but it works fine for cooking when you just need seasoning, not a show. Save your money for better beef or butter instead.
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