Salt is a miraculous substance. From the Ancient Egyptians to the Christian Bible, many cultures believe it to have mystical powers that can ward off evil, among other things.
Whatever your personal beliefs about salt's psychic and healing abilities, one thing is undeniable: it's tasty as hell. It can transform drab, lifeless food into something full of savor, juice, and vitality.
Which is why you need to get a Himalayan salt block to cook on, stat.
A year ago, a chef I know showed me photos of food beautifully arrayed on this pink slab of magic and rhapsodized about the way the food tasted. I shrugged. Sure, it looked nice, but it kind of seemed like a high-priced gimmick to me.
Then I ate some Wagyu beef and asparagus that had been grilled on a salt block. Holy. Crap. Let me repeat: HOLY CRAP.
You don't need an outdoor grill to cook on a salt block, either. All you need to do is gently and slowly heat it over a burner until a few drops of water sizzle on its surface. Then place your food (thinly sliced is best for beginners) on top. The Meadow has great instructions on how to heat, cook, and clean your salt block (obviously, you can't wash it or it will dissolve).
Something alchemical happens when food meets a Himalayan salt block. Unlike regular table salt, you can't over- or under-season your food. Not to sound too mystical about it, but it seems like the salt fuses with the food to provide just the right amount of savor.
If you want to get one, they cost anywhere from the mid $20s to the high $70s on Amazon. You can learn even more about cooking with salt blocks here, including the qualities to look for when you buy one. There's also an extensive cookbook on the topic, which you can get here.
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7 Comments
Hmmm might have to put that salt block on my list for santa ;)
My appetite just swooned <3
Is it possible to use this on a stove that isnt firepowered? This looks pretty awesome, thanks for this article!
Glad you liked it. Check out the link to The Meadow in the article—they give a good run-down of how to deal with a salt block on an electric range. If you get one, let us know how it works out.
Ok....with careful use, how long would something like this last?? It looks intriguing and very yummy!!
So, I realize this is supposed to be about food, but I think it should be said that nowhere in the Bible is salt used to ward off evil, nor do any of the authors say anything about it having mystic powers. Salt is used as an example of how Christians should be seasoned in their knowledge.
Melissa Ross, " From the Ancient Egyptians to the Christian Bible, many cultures believe it to have mystical powers that can ward off evil, among other things.".
There is nothing in this blog, specifically, that states the Bible says any particular thing, (and salt IS mentioned in the Bible more than 30 times), so not sure your beef...but clearly the Christians believe it has mystical powers because they use it to make holy water, perform baptisms, exorcisms, and it's mentioned in the Bible as a substance of life-giving (& life-taking) importance, so I'm thinking the Christians, like everyone else, fully believe in it's powers.
The Dalai Lama was buried sitting upright in salt. Gotta think he had a plan.
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