Butcher Salt (Sel du Boucher)

To salt or not to salt before cooking is an age old debate.  Old fashioned cookbooks often reference salting meat before cooking, while newer cookbooks are generally skeptical of the practice.  So, what method is correct?  Actually, it's simply a matter of timing.  As a general rule of thumb, do it early because salting at the last minute will definitely pull the juices out of the meat, and toughen and dry the surface.  If you salt early (even a few days before cooking), evenly and lightly over the meat, and then wrap it carefully and refrigerate until cooking time, the texture, juiciness, and flavor of the meat will be remarkedly improved.  This is especially true of tougher cuts of meat, but works well for all cuts of meat.  When you give salt enough time to penetrate the meat, the cells absorb the flavor of the salt, plus any herbs and spices added, deep inside the meat.  Essentially, you are seasoning and tenderizing the meat all the way through.  Remember though, everything is best in moderation, including salt, so salt lightly until you are thoroughly comfortable with the method.