Ireland checking in

[The Salt Rub]

Hi all,
I know this is probably a more American centric forum, but I recently shelled out for a Timberline 850 here in sunny Ireland.

Ended up with the Traeger after some long research.
There's a few brands of pellet grills available here and even some local guys here making stick smokers, but for ease of access to accessories and spares Traeger seem head and shoulders above the rest.

Looking forward to learning and cooking!

 

[GrillMeister]

Welcome to the Traeger Forum!

Sláinte!

 

[primeone]

Welcome to the forum @The Salt Rub - congrats on the new smoker!

 

[Timmy]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[RayClem]

Welcome to the forum. I cannot wait to see you smoke corn beef on your grill Here is a recipe from the Traeger web site:

Smoked Corned Beef and Cabbage - Traeger Grills

Taste the Traeger difference with our Smoked Corned Beef and Cabbage. We’re smoking corned beef on the grill, then roasting with potatoes, carrots and cabbage.

www.traeger.com

That recipe recommends using a can of Pilsner or other lager, but I think I would substitute an Irish Red Ale to keep it authentic. You will need one bottle for the corn beef and at least one more to keep the pitmaster hydrated during the lengthy cook.

 

[The Salt Rub]

Cheers all,

Gave a brisket a go this weekend. Over salted, over cooked. Delicious!
Good stepping stone for the next one, but I'm already a fan!

@RayClem, thanks for the recipe. Let's say my family and I avoid cabbage like the plague, doesn't mean we can't do the beef and spuds though!

 

[GTHDOOK]

Welcome

 

[RayClem]

Cheers all,

Gave a brisket a go this weekend. Over salted, over cooked. Delicious!
Good stepping stone for the next one, but I'm already a fan!

@RayClem, thanks for the recipe. Let's say my family and I avoid cabbage like the plague, doesn't mean we can't do the beef and spuds though!

There are recipes that do not include cabbage. The only reason I picked that one was that it was one of the few to include beer the recipe. Although I am not a frequent beer drinker or consumer of alcohol of any type, I do love an Irish Red Ale. It has a great balance between sweet malt and bitter hops. Thus, it would be an ideal accompaniment to brisket or corned beef.

Learning the nuances of seasoning your protein is an adventure. Salt acts as a meat tenderizer as well as a flavor enhancer, so getting it right is critical. Do not use regular table salt. The grains are so small that it is easy to oversalt the meat. Be sure to get Kosher salt with large flakes that will stay on the surface for a while. If you salt the meat ahead of time and allow it to rest for several hours, the salt will draw the juices out of the meat, dissolve the salt and then the salted juices will go back into the meat to make it more tender and flavorful. Sometimes I will do this up to two days in advance.

 

[The Salt Rub]

Hi,
I use Maldon Salt Flakes alright, it's not quite the same as Kosher salt but close enough. I just used too much of them I am afraid.

If it was easy there'd be no fun or learning!

 

[RayClem]

Hi,
I use Maldon Salt Flakes alright, it's not quite the same as Kosher salt but close enough. I just used too much of them I am afraid.

If it was easy there'd be no fun or learning!

Maldon salt is fine, but it is somewhat expensive to use on a large piece of meat like brisket. The crystals of Maldon should be plenty big to avoid oversalting. Regular table salt is so fine that it disappears into the surface of the meat so quickly that it becomes difficult to judge how much you add. With either Maldon salt or Kosher salt, it is easier to see how much you have added and avoid oversalting

 

[JPSBBQ]

Maldon salt is fine, but it is somewhat expensive to use on a large piece of meat like brisket. The crystals of Maldon should be plenty big to avoid oversalting. Regular table salt is so fine that it disappears into the surface of the meat so quickly that it becomes difficult to judge how much you add. With either Maldon salt or Kosher salt, it is easier to see how much you have added and avoid oversalting

As mentioned above, Malden salt is irregular and for finishing proteins and veggies. Kosher is more uniform and much larger than table salt which helps in reducing over-salting.

 

[RayClem]

As mentioned above, Malden salt is irregular and for finishing proteins and veggies. Kosher is more uniform and much larger than table salt which helps in reducing over-salting.

The key point of your post is that Malden salt is a "finishing" salt. Like Himalayan pink salt, it is better used after cooking so the nuances of the salt can be appreciated.

Since Maldon salt comes from Southeast England, perhaps it is cheap enough in Ireland to be used for everything, but here in the States, it is a specialty salt to be savored.

 

[The Salt Rub]

I'm not sure how expensive it was to be honest. We usually have some knocking about the house so I'd guess it's not too costly.
It was bought pre Brexit as well so it was sure cheaper than it would be now!
Kosher salt isn't really something that's a thing here. You can get it but you have to go looking for it.
Unless it's just called something else of course. There's no shortage of coarse sea salts.

 

[RayClem]

I'm not sure how expensive it was to be honest. We usually have some knocking about the house so I'd guess it's not too costly.
It was bought pre Brexit as well so it was sure cheaper than it would be now!
Kosher salt isn't really something that's a thing here. You can get it but you have to go looking for it.
Unless it's just called something else of course. There's no shortage of coarse sea salts.

Apparently, kosher salt got its name from the Jewish tradition of salting meat with coarse salt to draw moisture out of the meat rather than seasoning it. On this side of the pond, coarse salt is typically labeled as kosher salt. Sea salt here is often considered to be a specialty salt and carries a higher price. Use the least expensive coarse salt available to you where you live.

Enjoy your grill and be sure to show photos of some of your cooks in the "What's Cooking" thread. We love photos.

 

[RustyJake]

Can you get pickling salt over there?

Pickling Salt vs. Kosher Salt: How Do They Compare? - 2022 - MasterClass

When it comes to pickling recipes, fine-grain pickling salt is the best choice for a pure, uncloudy brine. On the other hand, kosher salt is ideal for drawing the moisture out of meat and flavoring pasta water. While pickling salt and kosher salt seem interchangeable, there are a few factors to...

www.masterclass.com

Might be an option for you, if you could find it in a coarse format. Problem is, most of it isn't coarse, but it is available coarse

Windsor® Coarse Pickling Salt Archive - Windsor Salt

This post is also available in: Français (French)

windsorsalt.com

The first link indicates you can use kosher in place of pickling salt when pickling, but dry brining is an issue because the granules are small.
Just make sure to go by weight and not by size measurement (tbsp, tsp, etc.). when you do any recipe and trying to use different styles of salt