Should I use Sea Salt or Kosher Salt for rub?

[wahoowad]

I usually use prepared rubs but want to try making my own. Also going to try basic salt and pepper. I have both 'Coarse Sea Salt' and 'Coarse Kosher Salt' and not sure if there is a difference or which to use. Any suggestions?

 

[gmc2003]

There really isn't any difference between the two. Since you have both already use the one that's open or closer to being empty.

Chris

 

[ammaturesmoker]

same flavor....doesn't matter

 

[browneyesvictim]

Yup. Exactly. You might also consider "seasoned salt" such as Lowreys or Johhnies. Just use less (by volume) or go by weight if working with salt in recipes.

And yes, just salt and pepper! Or as the Cadillac many will attest to is "SPOG".

 

[noboundaries]

It is no problem using either as long as the crystal size is about the same. The issues start when you have table salt sized crystals compared to the bigger, coarse grain crystals, then you have to adjust the amounts.

I avoid iodized salt when cooking, curing, or making rubs, preferring sea salt or kosher salt. The iodine in the salt can cause discoloration.

 

[floridasteve]

I have read that the way Kosher Salt is made produces a flatter and more sharpe edged chrystal that bites into the meat better when rubbed in. I’ve never made a study of it, but always use Kosher in rubs for that reason.

Another commement. Be aware that Lawery's season salt contains MSG. That doesn’t bother me, but it gives my wife the trots, so I avoid it on anything she’s likely to eat. It does work good on things I don’t want to share, though. LOL

 

[normonster]

If you're going to make a bunch of rub you might consider leaving the salt out. Since I read some book that suggested it I have been salting my meat as step one, and then applying saltless rub as step two. That way you can get the salt perfect but adjust the amount of rub/seasoning for whatever it is you're cooking (ie more salt for beef, less salt on pork with even amounts of seasoning), or for back to back cooks of the same thing with perfect salt levels but varying levels of seasoning. If you have salt in the rub you're kind of limited in how much you can apply to any one piece of meat because you don't want to over or under salt the meat.

My 00.02.

Cheers!

 

[tallbm]

I usually use prepared rubs but want to try making my own. Also going to try basic salt and pepper. I have both 'Coarse Sea Salt' and 'Coarse Kosher Salt' and not sure if there is a difference or which to use. Any suggestions?

I use whatever salt I have BUT I have found that Kosher tastes better to me.
That could simply be that it sticks and melds in with the meat better then other salt I use (I use sea, table, and kosher).

I'm kind of like normonster in the fact that I don't really make "rubs" and I just season with all the seasonings as needed, HOWEVER I did make up a 3 mixes/rubs for simplicity sake since I get tired of fighting with a counter full of spice bottles and a hunk of meat lol

1. Brisket and All Purpose Mix/Rub (SPOG) - 1 part Kosher Salt, 2 parts Black Pepper, 1 part Dehydrated/Minced Onion (amazing for seasoning/rubs), and 1 part Granulated Garlic. Use on basically any meat but helps when seasoning a 15 pound brisket since you only shake 1 bottle lol. This is also my favorite seasoning/rub and the flavor is out of this world and the combo is super simple. Try it on a burger or some chicken if you want to experiment, but prepare to be amazed!
   
   
2. Pork and Rib or All Purpose Mix/Rub (SPOG+) #2 - 1 part Kosher Salt, 1 Part Black Pepper, 1 part Dehydrated/Minced Onion, 1 part Granulated Garlic, 1 part Hungarian Paprika (use any paprika you have). This is great for pork for both flavor and to give some reddish color we all like to see on ribs and pork cuts and so on. This is my 2nd favorite rub and it basically goes on anything as well but I avoid it on fish unless I am doing more of a cajun style fish flavor
   
   
3. No Salt Pork and Rib or All Purpose Mix/Rub (POG+) - same as #2 mix/rub above BUT no salt because sometimes I want more flavor but not more salt. Spare ribs or chicken wings are a great example of this as they get salty real quick

One final word. Salt, Pepper, Onion, and Garlic (SPOG) are basically the base ingredients of almost any mix/rub you buy. Just look at the top 4 ingredients of that mix/rub and I bet 90% of the time SPOG are the top 4. Once you do SPOG you just add on different spices to get different flavors like Mexican, Italian, Cajun, Mediterranean, etc. etc.

Let me know how this sounds! :)

 

[motocrash]

Diamond Crystal Kosher

 

[troutman]

Be very careful about the notion that all coarse salts are basically the same. They are NOT. The following article came to my attention the other day. I strictly us Morton's Kosher Salt, but have been warned that other brands, as well as certain sea salts, don't have the same salinity.

https://www.tastecooking.com/kosher-salt-question/

 

[motocrash]

Here is exerpt from a Bon Apetit recipe that is another example of what troutman said:
¼ cup Diamond Crystal or 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt; plus more

I have quite a few finishing salts - probably a dozen that all have their own characters.

 

[troutman]

If you're going to make a bunch of rub you might consider leaving the salt out. Since I read some book that suggested it I have been salting my meat as step one, and then applying saltless rub as step two. That way you can get the salt perfect but adjust the amount of rub/seasoning for whatever it is you're cooking (ie more salt for beef, less salt on pork with even amounts of seasoning), or for back to back cooks of the same thing with perfect salt levels but varying levels of seasoning. If you have salt in the rub you're kind of limited in how much you can apply to any one piece of meat because you don't want to over or under salt the meat.

My 00.02.

Cheers!

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. I generally dry brine my beef and pork with Morton Kosher. I generally wet brine my poultry with the same salt (by weight not volume) and/or with Prague #1. Given that, my meat has been salted, period. The seasoning, which generally speaking has molecules too large to really penetrate the meat as salt does, is applied just prior to my cooking it. Too many commercial and homemade seasonings feature salt as a major component. If you do brine, either wet or dry, on a regular basis (as I do religiously) then you run the risk of over salting. Be careful....