Ever cooked with a salt block???

majorpain

I was wondering if anyone has ever cooked with a salt block and if so what are your opinions.  I found some on amazon and they dont seem to badly priced but I dont have any knowledge of this method.  They can be heated to 400 degrees and I have seen them on some TV's shows.  The show I watched cooked salmon on the blocks.  They are advsertised to have amazing flavors.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZEK8HS/ref=s9_simh_gw_p325_d0_g325_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0KM6D1JZWC4B7R9ZG1SG&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Richard Fl

Love the little toy!  mine is 8x8x2 and fits great on my small.

Here is one source:

http://www.saltnews.com/cooking-with-himalayan-salt-plates-blocks-bricks-platters/

Ribeye:

http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1005200&catid=1

Pork Steaks:
http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1005914&catid=1

Holy Smokin' Sweatbreads:

http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1115030&catid=1

nolaegghead

Interesting.  $25 shipping - owch!  What's with the "3 year shelf life"?  I'll have to research salt block cooking now, I'm intrigued.

nolaegghead

Interesting...  http://www.portsmouthsaltcellar.com/1/post/2012/02/all-himalayan-cooking-salt-blocks-are-not-created-equal.html

AleBrewer

I don't live too far from that store....been in there a few times. I keep thinking about buying one, maybe this weekend.....

burr_baby33

got one for fathers day.  cooked halibut and it was very good.  Will cook striper tonight and salmon tomorrow. have not tried beef yet but pretty sure i will like it.

AleBrewer

Please let me know how the striper turns out. I haven't been able to go striper fishing a few years now.

And I think you guys are talking me into spending more money this weekend!

talltrevor

@nolaegghead - I just bought mine now - always on the fence but your link made it easier to follow through.  I'm thinking my first cook will be heating that bad boy up and pop it in the middle of the table (as it holds its heat for a long time) and let people place very thinly shaved beef tenderloin on it ...as an app.  That should win the wife over!  Hopefully it works.

BuckeyeBob

I did my very first cook with mine last night. I cooked scallops. Let it heat up to 400 for about 30 minutes. Put down a little olive oil and then cooked them about 4 minutes or so a side. They were incredible. Great flavor but not salty at all I will post pics later this week.

Buckeye Bob

nolaegghead

Great ideas!  I'll have to tell the wife, she'll love the idea, and we'll probably be getting one delivered within the week....

I had an interesting dish a while back....at a sushi restaurant - it was called Kobe beef (of course we all know that's BS - no Kobe beef has been exported into the US).  Anyway, I'll call it wagyu (Japanese lineage cow) to be more correct.  They brought out this giant bowl filled with pebbles, and on the pebbles was a huge volcanic slab, at a near volcanic temperature.  The meat was thinly sliced on the side, and you'd put a little button on the rock, it would sizzle and smoke, then flash cook the meat.  It was delicious.  Sounds like you could do that with the salt stone.

10Driver

I've done shrimp and tilapia coated with dizzy dust on the salt block in a 400* raised direct egg. It was excellent.

talltrevor

When cooking with the salt block on the egg - would it be better to use the plate setter for indirect - or is the direct heat fine - I just wouldn't want one side getting too hot and breaking.

10Driver

Direct is ok. But you want to get it in early to heat it up with the egg.

Duganboy

I bought one at an egg fest a couple of weeks ago.  Just got two cooks under my belt.  chicken breasts and pork steaks for the first one.  I didn't let the block get hot enough and they cooked ok, but the color wasn't very good.  Second one I let it heat like a pizza stone and poured the oil on, did corn on the cob and it was outstanding.

timekpr1

@nolaegghead - I just bought mine now - always on the fence but your link made it easier to follow through.  I'm thinking my first cook will be heating that bad boy up and pop it in the middle of the table (as it holds its heat for a long time) and let people place very thinly shaved beef tenderloin on it ...as an app.  That should win the wife over!  Hopefully it works.

talltrevor, how did your plan go?  Did it win the wife over or are you now single again!

AleBrewer

Well, I got my salt blocks this weekend. I got an 8x8 and a smaller one for ourselves, and another 8x8 as a gift for my sister.

After I seasoned it in the oven for three hours, we sliced up a fillet, and a nice tuna steak too. It turned out pretty well. The food does take on the salt as you cook it. The steak has a lot more moisture than the tuna, so it picked up more of the salt.

We sliced up some fresh tomatoes, and laid them on the smaller cold block with some pepper and fresh basil.....those were very nice.

I also picked up a few finishing salts too. Truffle salt is soooo good!

burr_baby33

Made a mistake with the striper I cooked...I salted it. The striper soaked up salt and the Lawreys I added made it a bit too salty. I just was not thinking!

AleBrewer

Yeah.....I almost salted the first piece of beef....caught myself as I was reaching for the salt bowl.

Sorry to hear about the striper!