FOOD NEWS
For An Extra Crispy Crust On Your Next Roast, Dust It With Sea Salt
BY TOM MAXWELL
If you want an extra crispy crust on your next pork or beef roast, thoroughly sprinkle it with plenty of salt. We recommend using sea salt because it's more complex and flavorful.
Salt removes moisture from the exterior of your roast, allowing its surface temperature to rise enough to kick off the Maillard reaction, the chemical process that browns the meat.
The reaction causes the meat's proteins and sugars to become brown, roasted, and crisp. While the salt dries out the exterior so it browns more, it makes the interior more tender.
You can use table salt to achieve good results, but sea salt is full of minerals and trace elements that provide a stronger flavor, while also letting you use less salt overall.
We're big fans of Maldon sea salt with its specially-shaped crystals, but other good types of sea salt include Sel Gris, Dead Sea, Fleur de Sel, Irish Mineral, and Red Alaea.