Long before there was such a thing as seasoned salt and other seasoning salts, Italians used rosemary salt, salamoia Bolognese, on meats bound for the grill. I think of it as a secret weapon. Garlic can scorch over high heat, but it’s ground so finely here that it doesn’t. The salt extracts liquid from the beef, intensifying its flavor, and the lemon zest gives the meat an acidic lift.
Ingredients
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- Needles from 2 rosemary sprigs
- Grated zest of ½ lemon
How to Make It
- Put 2 tablespoons of the salt in a food processor, add the pepper, garlic, sage, rosemary, and lemon zest, and pulse a few times to finely chop the herbs and integrate the ingredients into a green, almost pesto-like paste.
- Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into an airtight container. Stir in the remaining salt. (Adding the rest of the salt after processing allows the mixture to retain the properties of the coarse salt, preventing it from becoming too powdery or wet,
- which is essential to achieving the desired effect on the grill.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using. The salt can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.
