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Meat in salt in oven

Salt-Baked Pork in the Oven

The easiest way to cook juicy, aromatic meat. It's quick and simple—even a beginner can pull it off—yet the meat comes out incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful. Don't let the amount of salt scare you: the meat takes up exactly as much as it needs and not a gram more, so it never turns out too salty.

hallen-bunny

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pork

900

Salt

Egg

Thyme

Dried rosemary

Dried oregano

Whole peppercorns

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 44 % 8 g

Fats 56 % 10 g

Carbohydrates 0 % 0 g

125 kcal

GI: 0 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

This handy, unusual method works not just for meat but for fish and chicken too. In our house, pork is the favorite of all meats, so we'll be baking a boneless pork loin. Tender cuts are best for oven baking, so a fresh ham, shoulder, or loin all work great. Just make sure the cut has no membranes, sinew, or excess fat, and that the meat is fresh or well chilled.
Step 2:

Measure out about 2 pounds (1 kg) of salt. For dishes like this, medium or coarse salt works best—kosher or sea salt with a pepper blend is ideal. Pour the salt into a bowl large enough to stir it comfortably. Add all the dried herbs and the peppercorns. Any spices you like will work; rosemary and black peppercorns pair beautifully with pork, and I add thyme and oregano as well. Stir to combine.
Step 3:

Crack in one raw egg and mix well. You can skip the egg, but it helps the salt crust hold its shape.
Step 4:

Take a baking dish and spread one third of the seasoned salt across the bottom. This will be the bed for the meat.
Step 5:

The meat needs no prep beforehand. Just take your nice piece of loin and lay it on the bed of salt.
Step 6:

Cover the meat with the remaining salt, mounding it up. Press it down gently with your hands.
Step 7:

Bake the meat in an oven preheated to 350–400°F (180–200°C) for one hour. When the time is up, don't pull the meat out of the salt crust right away—let it cool in the crust for a few minutes. Then crack the crust open with a knife. The salt hardens, so the crust splits and lifts off very easily.

I'd already cooked fish this way, and this time I decided to try it with meat. So it's tried and true more than once! Salt-baked meat is delicious and simple, and best of all, a dish made this way is practically impossible to over-salt. Serve it on its own or with a side, and it makes wonderful sandwiches too—a healthier stand-in for deli meat. Enjoy!