Anyone tried cooking on a Himalayan salt block?

[pz]

A friend of mine told me of this technique, and at first it sounded goofy, but is interesting in an unusual way.

Cooking a steak on a Himalayan salt block

[teesquare]

Doc Holly will amble in here soon I will bet I know he has one and can advise.....

[Pam Gould]

I have one..8 x 8" but have not used it yet. You have to season it first. Just haven't got to it yet.  Pam  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ

[teesquare]

How do you season a salt block?

[drholly]

Cooking on a rock - salt. It works great on the stove, the oven and the grill. You need to get it hot. I like small / thin slices of beef, chicken, or pork - or shrimp. Know that you will have salt from the rock. A little oil and herbs on the meat and then toss on the hot (preheated) salt block. Cook quick. It is not fancy, but gives a new "salt" flavor. Shrimp, thin sliced beef, chicken, or veg work very well. Use some oil as it make sense to you. Have some fun. It is a very hot rock - think of it that way and cook thin.

[drholly]

How do you season a salt block?

I've never thought about seasoning. The key is to get the rock comfortable with the heat... maybe heat a few times so it feels good.  Otherwise, remember the rock will add salt - so be careful. You are heating a rock that will cook food. Think about that. The rock cooks the food. It is salt and adds salt to the food. Be careful with seasonings.

[Ka Honu]

... small / thin slices ... Cook quick...

Very important to do it this way or your result will be too salty.

[bbqchef]

Be careful to heat it SLOWLY. Otherwise it might explode (don't ask how I know this  <lol>). I have three blocks I use for cooking and two others I use just for cold presentation... it's trendy but don't know if it will become part of my routine cooking.

(Cold presentation does look pretty cool!)

[pz]

Thanks all, for the information.  It does look like a novel way to do cooking, and might be fun for a dinner party or two. 

[drholly]

Thanks all, for the information.  It does look like a novel way to do cooking, and might be fun for a dinner party or two. 

This is probably the best way to use it. I am not sure that it adds a ton of flavor. But it is fun.

[Wing Commander]

... small / thin slices ... Cook quick...

Very important to do it this way or your result will be too salty.

A good way to avoid getting your food to salty is adding some twigs of herb (rosemary, thyme, etc.) on the stone and place your food then on it:



Here's the link to shrimps on a salt block.

[pz]

That's a good idea;  adds a bit more to the show, more flavor, and maybe even a bit of smoky herb essence 

[sliding_billy]

That shrimp looks great WC.

[drholly]

... small / thin slices ... Cook quick...

Very important to do it this way or your result will be too salty.

A good way to avoid getting your food to salty is adding some twigs of herb (rosemary, thyme, etc.) on the stone and place your food then on it:

Here's the link to shrimps on a salt block.

Good point WC. It's a bit like cooking on a plank - use the aromatics or even lemon or other citrus to "shelter" the protein from too aggressive flavors - the wood or the salt.

The nice thing about the salt block is it absorbs and holds the heat becoming the cooking surface. It does add some seasoning.