Try a gift from the sea

In last week’s column, we talked about the advantages of cooking with salt. This week, we’ll talk about differences between some of the many salts you can buy today; and we’ll talk about iodine and whether you should worry about getting iodine-enriched salt.

Edible salt falls into two broad categories: There is the kind that comes from the ground and the kind that comes from sea water. There isn’t any particular health advantage to eating one or the other (as with most things culinary, it’s always better to mix things up rather than being dogmatic and using only one type of salt).

Salts can also have different shapes, which can change flavor. I’m not a chemist so this doesn’t make complete sense to me, but theoretically the heftier salts, such as kosher salt, offer more flavor and less sodium per serving because of the way their crystals are composed. Confused? Author and teacher Linda Carucci explains it this way in her book, “Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks�: “It takes two teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt to contribute the amount of sodium found in one teaspoon of common table salt. When you’re seasoning to taste, you have more play with the kosher salt than table salt because the grains are bigger.�

She also notes that many cooks prefer the larger grain salts because they are not treated with chemicals that make them pour freely. If you think of the illustration on the Morton’s salt label (a little girl pouring salt in the rain), you won’t be surprised to learn that the company treats its salt with calcium silicate. This can add a metallic undertone to foods.

When it comes to choosing your own salt, whether it’s for the table or for the kitchen, try to find a nutrition label (there isn’t always one to be found on imported salts, especially if you buy them, as I sometimes do, at places such as T. J. Maxx) to check the sodium. But be sure to check what the serving size is, so you’re comparing apples to apples.

I personally prefer to cook with really grainy salt, because I like to scoop it out of the container with my fingers and crush it over the cooking food. My favorites are gray French sel de mer (sea salt), or the fancier fleur de sel. But I also really love to cook with the English Maldon Sea salt, which was chosen by Cook’s Illustrated as a top-choice salt at a relatively affordable price. The Maldon grains are actually shaped like triangular flakes. They have a nice, light flavor (not as salty as the French salts). And they can be found at many local stores, including Guido’s in Great Barrington and, often, at Four Seasons in Lakeville (call first to be sure it’s in2 stock).

But because I tend to use imported sea salt, I sometimes worry that I’m not getting enough of the iodine that is added to most American table salt. Iodine is one of those minerals that the government feels is essential to our health, like fluoride (which is added to the water supply; if you only drink bottled water, you might ask your dentist about getting a fluoride supplement). In the early 1900s, the government noticed that many Americans, notably those who lived in the Midwest, were afflicted by goiters, which are caused by an iodine deficiency. A lack of iodine in the diet of pregnant women has also been blamed for some cases of mental retardation.

In the 1920s, the government decided to add iodine to the American diet. A decision was made to add it to table salt, because it was something most everyone eats. Since those days, iodine deficiency has become less of a problem. It is a mineral that comes from the soil; it was discovered that the soil in the Mdwest had been stripped of many natural minerals when the glaciers came through. Foods grown near the coasts (and, of course, fish caught in the oceans) were good sources of iodine. And now that, for better or for worse, most of us don’t live on local produce, it has become less essential to get an iodine supplement. Your body doesn’t need vast quantities of it. But if you eat mainly local vegetables and you don’t eat much seafood, you might want to toss some iodized table salt on your food from time to time.

In her cookbook, Carucci describes an interesting concept: reverse osmosis with salt. Don’t salt your food just before cooking. Instead, salt it early. This will draw the moisture out of the meat. But, through what she calls “the magic of reverse osmosis,� if left alone for a while, the meat will reabsorb the salty liquid — and it will absorb it into the internal protein fibers. “Normally during cooking,� she explains, “protein fibers shrink, squeezing out moisture. When reverse osmosis has a chance to work its magic before cooking, the seasoned, moist protein cells actually retain some of the newly absorbed moisture, resulting in tenderer, moister, more flavorful meat through and through.�

                                                                                                 Rib-eye steaks

                                                     Adapted from “Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooksâ€�

                                                                                                    Serves four

4 boneless rib-eye steaks, 3/4-inch thick; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or other fat-grained salt;

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder (don’t use real garlic or

it is likely to burn in cooking); 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

Season steaks on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Press the seasoning into the steaks with the heel of your hand. Sprinkle thyme on the steaks.  Refrigerate for up to 36 hours. Remove the steaks from the cooler one hour before cooking. Preheat your gas grill to high, or prepare a broiler pan and move the top rack in your oven as close as possible to the heat source. Cook the steaks on both sides (5 to 7 minutes for rare, 7 to 10 for medium). When the steaks are done, move them to a cutting board and tent them with aluminum foil for five minutes. Slice them across the grain into 1/2-inch wide strips. Drizzle with any remaining juices.