GRILLING WITH THE HIMALAYA SALT STONE!
Everyone knows Himalayan salt for its delicious taste, but did you know that it is also great for grilling? When cooking, the salt stone ensures a crispier crust on the outside of your grilled food, while the inside remains juicy and tender. The Himalayan crystal structure also helps to season your food as it cooks, so you don't have to add much more salt or seasoning once you take it off the grill - if you need to at all!
What is a Himalayan salt stone?
A Himalayan salt stone is a block of pure, unrefined and natural salt. It is a great alternative to traditional table salt because it contains 84 trace minerals that occur naturally in the earth.
Himalayan salt was formed more than 250 million years ago, when the Tethys Sea dried up, leaving behind a huge salt deposit, which is now found in Pakistan, India and Nepal (hence "Himalayan salt"). The thick layer of crystallized minerals can be extracted with simple tools such as hammers and chisels; No heavy machinery is needed, as each block weighs between 45 and 60 tons!
Maintenance of your salt stone
Although your salt stone hob is durable, it can still be damaged by the elements or user error. The first step in maintaining your new Landmann Himalayan salt stone is to wipe it down after each use. This removes any oil that has built up during cooking and prevents the surface of the stone from being tarnished. If you plan to store it for an extended period of time, wipe the top and bottom with a damp cloth and make sure they are dry for at least 24 hours before storing.
Your salt block may develop small cracks and pits, but don't worry. That's completely normal, as is some discoloration depending on the food you prepare - everything is unique because it's natural.
Cooking with a Himalayan salt plate
Grilling with a salt plate is easy. You can use a salt plate to prepare meat, fish and vegetables on the BBQ or in the oven.
Cooking with a salt plate means you don't have to worry about too much salt in your food (or too little salt). It's all in the name!
Himalayan salt can be heated up to 230 degrees Celsius and is best used to sear all kinds of delicious dishes.
When heating with a gas or charcoal burner, place the salt stone on a low heat for 15 minutes. If you want a higher temperature, heat for an additional 15 minutes.
What do you make on your Himalayan salt stone?
So, we've established that Himalayan salt is already delicious, and how to care for it and what to do with it. On to the fun part!
When grilling, searing or presenting chilled food on a Himalayan salt stone - the spices are built in! You really let those flavors marinate and cook in the meat, creating great dishes and particularly tasty crusts.
You can bake almost anything cold or serve it on your salt stone. The list below contains some of our favorites, but feel free to use it as a starting point and make your own discoveries:
Steaks
Sushi
Fruit
Chicken fillet (with skin)
Fish fillets (with skin)
Vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, peppers and onions
Eggs
And if you're feeling adventurous or have time to experiment with new flavors:
Why not try some ideas for delicious side dishes?
Potatoes
Soak the potatoes in cold water for about an hour. Preheat your Himalayan salt plate to 230 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the water and pat them dry with a towel. Place them on the hot stone, skin side down. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork or knife. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
For sweet potatoes: Follow steps 1 through 3 as above, but shorten the baking time to 10-15 minutes, depending on how large your sweet potato is (larger ones take longer). After removing from the oven, brush with melted ghee or coconut oil before serving, if desired!
Tomatoes
For tomatoes, cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place them on the heated stone, evenly spaced so they don't overlap too much (you want them to touch, but not overlap). Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving; brush lightly with additional virgin olive oil if necessary.
A Himalayan salt stone can add a new dimension to your summer grilling.
Grilling with a Himalayan salt block is an easy way to enhance your summer grilling. This block of salt can be used in many different ways, but it is most commonly used as a cooking surface for meat and vegetables.
One thing about this method is that once you put your food on it, there's no going back - so make sure everything is prepped ahead of time so nothing burns! And if there's any doubt as to whether something will sear properly...hey, that's the fun of a BBQ. Test it, eat it, test it again. Either way, it's delicious.
