oldcoot
Senior Cook
BW ran across a recipe this morning that calls for a bed of rock salt below a wire rack upon which a prime rib roast is cooked.
WHAT IN BLUE BLAZES IS THE ROCK SALT FOR????
It does not touch the meat, and salt doesn't vaporize at oven temperatures, so it cannot possibly flavor the meat. Salt is an excellent "heat sink", so the oven heat will not reach the bottom of the roast quite as quickly with the salt there. Probably not an appreciable difference, however.
The only purpose I can imagine is to "absorb" any fat dripping off the roast,. What that accomplishes is beyond me. Except to make the roasting pan easier to clean.
Please, help this old coot to understand!
WHAT IN BLUE BLAZES IS THE ROCK SALT FOR????
It does not touch the meat, and salt doesn't vaporize at oven temperatures, so it cannot possibly flavor the meat. Salt is an excellent "heat sink", so the oven heat will not reach the bottom of the roast quite as quickly with the salt there. Probably not an appreciable difference, however.
The only purpose I can imagine is to "absorb" any fat dripping off the roast,. What that accomplishes is beyond me. Except to make the roasting pan easier to clean.
Please, help this old coot to understand!