When trying to come up with a topic this week I began to think back to the staples that everyone should know how to prepare and grill properly. From steak to pork chops to chicken breast… and as I was thinking about these cuts it dawned on me.
So much of the flavor we develop in these different meats is in the seasoning we use.
And before I continue I want to confess that I am as guilty as anyone of having more pre-made seasonings than I could possibly use in my kitchen cabinets. But when it comes down to it, I typically reach for just two things.
Himalayan Pink Salt and Tellicherry Peppercorns.
Both of these items are sitting in small glass mills manufactured in Denmark with ceramic teeth that have been set to my ideal grind size.
These days it has become easier to find specialty products like these in your every day supermarket. When just ten years ago it would have taken a special order or a trip to an overpriced boutique retailer to acquire them.
And maybe that’s why I love them so much. For some, the lore behind the ingredients we cook with means nearly as much as the meals we make with them.
These ingredients not only taste great, but they both come from just a single place on the planet.
Nearly all of the Himalayan Pink Salt in the world is mined at the foothills of these mountains in Pakistan and Tellicherry Peppercorns can only come from the city of the same name which sits on the Malabar coast in India.
Gathering ingredients, knowing their story, and using them to prepare a flavorful meal is just part of the ritual that home cooks have all come to love… and I’m no different.
