Steak, and that damned salt again!

A simple meal: pan seared rib steak with Tommy’s Potatoes. Nice and easy. But once again I was blindsided by pomposity (my own). It’s that damned salt again. Instead of using my standard Kosher salt, I ground a bit of Hiwa kai Black Hawaiian Sea Salt on both sides of the steak, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for good measure. I would love to take credit for cooking the steak perfectly*, and while it was cooked nicely, the kicker for the dish was that stupid, pompous, expensive salt. I love good quality ingredients in my cooking. But salt? Every time this happens I have less moral authority to poke fun at all of the jerks in the food world who pontificate about free-range tomatoes (at five bucks a pop!) and sustainable agriculture and happy, carefree, heirloom pigs.

The stuff is really good, and you should try it. Just don’t tell them that I sent you.

* 2 inch bone-in rib steak. Blazing hot cast-iron pan for about 3 minutes on each side, just enough for a good char, then into a hot oven for another 3 or 4 minutes. Let it rest for several minutes, and you’re done.

4 Replies to “Steak, and that damned salt again!”

  1. I avoid that situation by not buying it in the first place… though it is hard. I think I have placed some fancy salt in my shopping cart and it ends up leaving the cart before I get to check out.

  2. where did you get the steak from?oh, and, most of your fancy salt stuck to the cast iron pan. don’t fool yourself, it’s mostly for looks and finishing. ;-p

  3. The problem is that it tastes quite good. I am unwilling to forgo the taste sensation in order to remain consistent!

  4. Kings! It looked good, so what the hell. Buying meat is a crap shoot, although you can improve your odds by going to the better butchers. I have had crappy steaks from the fanciest joints, and great steaks from Safeway. I disagree about the salt. I ground it in a pepper mill and then rubbed it into the meat. I didn’t salt the steak after I finished cooking it, but the meat was wonderfully salty, with the flavor of the “fancy salt” quite prominent. Try it, you’ll like it!

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