This 2-Ingredient Wine Salt Is The Perfect Addition To Your Next Steak

If you're already accustomed to pairing your steaks with red wine then you might welcome a seasoning that gets those Barolos and nebbiolos a lot closer to the plate. Red wine salt is the brilliant combination of the titular ingredients to make even more dynamic T-bones and porterhouses. Yes, red wine salt's only two ingredients are right there in the name, but it takes a little bit of time and finesse to get the simple mix just right.

You want to choose a variety that you'd actually want to drink whenever you're cooking with wine, and this simple preparation is cooking-adjacent enough that the guidance still applies. That doesn't mean that it has to be the best of your collection, however, and this could be a good way to use up any leftover wine, if such a thing exists in your orbit. You can also make it as small or as large a batch as you wish, provided you have a bit of vino and a larger-grained mineral like sea or kosher salt to better stand up to the liquid.

Whipping up a batch of red wine salt is as easy as using equal parts of the base ingredients. You can start with say, ½ cup of salt and ½ cup of red wine. Simply combine them in a bowl, mug, tea cup or whatever you won't worry about potentially staining, cover, and let steep overnight. The following day, it might still have the consistency of wet sand, but you can add it all to some cheesecloth, form a ball, and squeeze to eliminate any excess moisture, then spread it in an even layer over a cutting board, plate, or even just a portion of parchment paper to dry (or speed up the process by dehydrating at a low temperature). 

Fruiter wines might mingle somewhat sweetly with the existing salinity, while varieties with more peppery qualities will bring a whiff of spice. You should expect the vibrantly hued finished product to impart unique nuances in either case. For a stronger fermented grape flavor, try reducing the wine on the stovetop before combining or use a 2-to-1 ratio of wine to salt.

Once your infused salt is ready, you can use it the same way you'd have applied the standard stuff to your steak. Salt well in advance of cooking and let the steak sit for a de facto brine. Join it with pepper to build a nice seared crust in a hot pan. You can also add your red wine salt to a marinade to give tougher cuts a better texture and a tasty boost, or sprinkle it over your perfectly cooked beef as a superb finishing salt.