Why Salt the Meat?
Along with smoking, salting is one of the oldest preservation methods known today. In the past, the method was used solely for its preserving properties, but today it is used because of the flavor and texture it imparts to the ingredient.
Previously, it was “forbidden” to add salt or sugar before fish or meat was browned or cooked. However, today it is recognized that by salting the meat as early in the process as possible, we intensify the flavor, retain moisture, and make the meat more tender.
Salting is also known as curing, and there are different methods of curing. Broadly speaking, there is dry salting and brining (a “wet” brine). Here we will only address dry salting.
Dry salting can be further divided into two methods, namely curing and gourmet salting, both primarily used for fish. Larger cuts of meat are typically cured for 24 hours (curing), while steaks, chops, and schnitzels can be left to marinate for just 15 minutes in the fridge (gourmet salting).
What is Curing and Gourmet Salting?
Curing
The word curing originates from the Swedish word for curing. In short, curing is a process that typically takes several days – usually 3-6 days. After this, the product is ready to be served.
Curing can be used to serve raw fish, which will acquire a much more meat-like and firm texture that requires no further preparation.
Gourmet Salting
Gourmet salting takes considerably less time than curing: anywhere from 5-10 minutes to a couple of hours. The product is then prepared as desired.
Gourmet salting is generally something that can be used for beef, pork, poultry, and lamb. The lighter the meat, the greater the effect of the salting.
Ratio Between Salt and Sugar
Both curing and gourmet salting use a mixture of salt and sugar – although gourmet salting can be done without sugar. The brine used for gourmet salting is much milder than that used for curing.
Both salt and sugar enhance the delicate and mild aromas in the fish, and the ratio depends mainly on the type of fish:
- Salt enhances the flavor in mild fish such as plaice, sole, and halibut.
- Sugar balances fish with more intense aromas such as cod, haddock, and salmon.
Important
It is important to note that salting does not kill bacteria but rather inhibits bacterial growth. To prevent the ingredient from spoiling, it is important to follow certain guidelines. This is mainly relevant for curing, which, as is known, can take place over several days.
How to Cure
Before curing, the fish should always be frozen at -18 degrees Celsius for a day.
When curing, sprinkle the fish pieces with salt, sugar, and possibly spices (to taste). The brine should constitute 3% of the fish’s weight. The fish should be refrigerated during curing and turned daily. It is beneficial to vacuum pack the fish if you want to avoid having to turn it during the curing.
During curing, the fish loses between 5-10% of its weight. The weight loss depends on how long the curing lasts.
The fish is then ready to be served and is especially excellent as an appetizer. Typically, the fish will be cut into very thin slices, and especially salmon, cod, and halibut are well-suited for curing.
A tip is also to finish by cold smoking fatty fish, as the sticky surface will take the smoke flavor well.
How to Gourmet Salt
Take your meat/fish out of the refrigerator and let it sit for 5-10 minutes on a cutting board. Generously sprinkle salt on both sides of your ingredient. You can hardly use too much salt, so make sure there is plenty of it. Let it sit for 7-15 minutes depending on the size. If it is a fillet from a fish, closer to 7 minutes, and a thick steak/roast or a large piece of fish, you can easily let it sit for 15 minutes. Afterward, brush or rinse off the salt from the fish/ingredient and dry it well before cooking.
Is Gourmet Salting an Advantage?
There has been a long-standing debate about whether meat should be salted before, after, or even during the browning of the meat. We have spoken with Agriculture & Food, which claims to have determined after several studies that “it is generally good to salt the meat as early in the cooking process as possible. The meat will taste more flavorful and will also be more tender and juicy,” they say.
Several studies have been conducted on the effect of pre-salting/gourmet salting the meat.
The Research Institute of Meat Processing also found that a 1% salting is appropriate for most types of meat.
The conclusion at Agriculture & Food is that gourmet salting results in less cooking loss compared to meat that has not been gourmet salted before cooking.
“The difference varies from 1-5%, but is on average about 2% for Filet Royal and 3.5% for pork fillet medallions. The loss during the pre-salting period is almost the same in both pre-salted and non-salted meat. The eating quality is positively affected by gourmet salting, as both the meat tastes more flavorful and is also more tender and juicy compared to similar pieces of meat that are first salted during cooking,” they continue in their post.