Salt is not just for seasoning, it has two wonderful uses: dry curing and wet curing. Please keep them safe

Cleverly utilizing the characteristics of salt to bring richer flavors or more juicy meat chunks to food.

Salt is one of the earliest chemical substances used by humans. Thousands of years ago, humans obtained natural salt from the ocean and salt mines. It is the oldest seasoning that can enhance the flavor of food.

The appropriate amount of salt does not have a fixed number, but falls within a range. Some countries tend to use more salt, while others use less. Different amounts of salt can be combined to create delicious dishes. For example, bread in the Tuscany region of Italy has always been salt free; But as if to compensate, they are accustomed to adding more salt to other dishes. The French use salt in baguettes and pain au levain, while other dishes tend to use salt conservatively. It's better than Chinese rice that doesn't have salt, but the dishes are seasoned with salt.

The role of salt in food can be explained by its osmotic and diffusive effects. Penetration is the phenomenon of water molecules diffusing through a semi permeable membrane. Water molecules will move from areas of low concentration to areas of high concentration until the concentration inside and outside the cell is balanced. Water molecules will diffuse through the cell membrane, a phenomenon known as permeation. This is when meat is placed in low concentration saltwater or distilled water, the meat will swell; The principle that it will slightly dehydrate when placed in high concentration saltwater.

Diffusion refers to the transportation process from high concentration areas to low concentration areas. Without passing through the cell membrane, it is simply the kinetic energy of the molecule itself that drives it to reach a consistent concentration in aqueous solution. All food is processed through salting, which involves the interaction of these two processes.

The methods for preserving food with salt, transforming it, and bringing beautiful flavors can be seen from two ways: dry curing and wet curing. Representative dishes include beef jerky, salted fish, salted eggs, marinated maha fish, sausages, ham, salted beef, etc. When marinating, using sodium chloride (salt) and sodium nitrate can bring a pink color to the meat. Salt creates an environment that is not conducive to microbial growth in order to preserve this type of food.

The preservation of fish caught in the sea by salting has a long history and is something that most people can easily do. Covering food with sufficient salt to release moisture is called dry curing. Salt not only dehydrates food, but also bacteria and parasites, thus preserving food and preventing it from spoiling easily. Marinated salmon is the most common dry cured dish. After being dried and marinated into salted fish, it can release a charming salty flavor, which can be used to make dishes and is particularly refreshing. Marinate the freshness and saltiness of salted fish to enhance the flavor of ordinary meat patties, especially with rice. Salted meat products such as salted fish are also suitable for adding a rich flavor to vegetables.

Wet marinating is a method of soaking meat in concentrated salt brine, which can enhance the flavor of the meat and reduce the loss of moisture during cooking. It is particularly suitable for preparing chicken breast, a meat part that easily dries up. High osmotic pressure salt or saline solution enters cells, causing protein denaturation and partial dissolution of amino acids; Meat products prepared with brine will be particularly soft, tender, and juicy when cooked.

Large chunks of meat are soaked in 5.5% salt water using European techniques, and marinated for about 3 hours. It should not be too long, otherwise it will become too salty. Small pieces of meat can be marinated in 1% salt water. Industrial bacon is made by injecting salt water, a typical solution of 15% salt and 10% sugar, into the five flowers of pigs in rows of needles. It is recommended to soak fish, shrimp, and chicken in salt brine with a concentration between 3% and 6%. If meat is processed by wet curing, fresh shrimp takes about 30 minutes, whole chicken takes about 3 to 12 hours, diced chicken takes about 0.5 to 1 hour, turkey takes about 24 hours, pork chops about 2.5 centimeters thick take about 4 to 6 hours, thicker ones take about 5 to 8 hours, and large pork tenderloins take about 6 to 12 hours.

Salted brine can be paired with fresh spices such as rosemary, thyme, basil, etc. It is also suitable to add spices such as garlic, pepper, or a combination of Italian spices, and even add an appropriate amount of sugar such as brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup to soak together. Meat that has been marinated and then cooked is not only plump and juicy, but also has a more tender and delicious texture.

The above introduces the use of salt in cooking besides seasoning. The concentration difference produced by salt can bring better flavor and texture to food and meat products. Without the need to purchase other additives, mastering the different concentrations of salt, dry and wet techniques, ordinary ingredients can also be made into extraordinary deliciousness.