When should salt be added to cook beef and mutton

It is recommended to add salt about 10 minutes before cooking beef and mutton. Adding salt too early may cause the meat to become stale, while adding it too late may make it less flavorful. The timing of adding salt should be adjusted based on factors such as the tenderness of the meat and the cooking method.

For tender parts such as beef tenderloin and lamb leg, salt can be added 5-8 minutes before serving to ensure flavor and avoid premature protein coagulation. This type of meat has finer fiber and faster salt penetration. Adding salt too early can cause excessive dehydration of cells, resulting in a dry and hard texture. When using a pressure cooker for stewing, the salt concentration may be higher due to less water evaporation. It is recommended to delay adding salt for 3-5 minutes compared to ordinary cookware.

Old tough parts such as beef brisket and lamb tendon can be stewed for 1 hour before adding salt to help soften connective tissue. During prolonged stewing, salt can promote the hydrolysis of collagen in meat, but the amount should be controlled to avoid excessive saltiness. If the cooking method of frying first and then stewing is used, salt should be added when transferring to the stew pot after frying to ensure even saltiness inside and outside.

When cooking beef and mutton, it is also important to control the amount of salt, and the daily sodium intake for adults should not exceed 2000 milligrams. Can be cooked with vegetables such as onions and carrots to enhance freshness and reduce salt dependence. Special populations such as hypertensive patients can use low sodium salt or season with spices such as fragrant leaves and star anise. It is recommended to refrigerate the remaining broth to remove floating oil before use, and avoid adding salt repeatedly.