Found out kosher salt dissolves slower than table salt and it changed how I season my steaks

I was reading an article on Serious Eats about salt types and apparently kosher salt has bigger crystals so it sits on the meat longer before melting. Now I'm wondering if that's why my burgers always came out too salty on the outside but bland inside. Any of you guys ever tested this side by side?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice8910d ago

Yeah, that "too salty on the outside but bland inside" thing really hit home for me... I had that same issue for the longest time with my burgers. Tried switching to kosher salt after reading a similar article and it honestly helped a ton. The bigger crystals just sit there on the surface instead of instantly dissolving into the meat, so you get a better crust without that harsh salty bite. Plus you can actually see how much you're putting on, which is nice. Took me a few tries to get the amount right though, because the flakes are so different from fine table salt.

graydavis10d ago

@alice89 I was nodding along to that "harsh salty bite" part because it's exactly what I ran into when I switched salts. You ever do a side by side with a store brand kosher vs Diamond Crystal? I ask because I tried Morton's first and it took me forever to get the amount right, the flakes are so much denser. The bigger crystals thing makes sense for burgers since you want that crust to form while the inside stays more neutral. But now I'm wondering if the slower dissolving means you have to salt way earlier than you think, like 15 minutes before cooking instead of right before the pan. Seems like timing matters almost as much as the salt type itself.