There are plenty of sayings and idioms that have solidified their spot in our language, but people often find that the phrase “worth one’s salt” or “worth your weight in salt” has an elusive meaning.
This saying actually dates back to ancient times when many roads and trade routes were developed by a market known as the salt trade. The salt trade was just what it sounds, a period in time before salt deposits were found to be readily available around the world, so merchants would travel far and wide selling salt to villages.
However, this salt wasn’t being carried such long distances just for because it was a tasty addition to just about every dish. Back then, salt was mainly used as a means for preservation, and it actually represented great power and value.
Without salt, armies wouldn’t be able to carry their rations for such long distances and explorers wouldn’t have been able to sail to new lands.
Salt really enabled society to expand. And, during those times when extraction methods were particularly tricky, salt was considered even more valuable. So, to say that someone is “worth one’s salt,” it’s a statement that acknowledges that they are competent, deserving, and–to put it simply–worthwhile. If a boss were to say it to an employee, it would be meant as a compliment, confirming that the employee is a valuable part of the team and they deserve their salary.
In fact, the phrase itself is thought to be rooted in Ancient Rome where soldiers were sometimes paid with salt or given an allowance to purchase salt. Similarly, if a person uses the phrase “worth its weight in salt,” to describe an object, they are expressing that they think the item is worth the price they paid or that it otherwise holds immense value to them.
Cooking the perfect holiday turkey can be a daunting experience for most people. It must be juicy, flavorsome, and obviously have crispy skin. Have no fear because we have come up with the only Thanksgiving turkey recipe you will ever need.
Scale
Ingredients
One 11-pound turkey, thawed 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon knobs 1 1/2 yellow onions, peeled and halved 4 garlic cloves, peeled
One orange or lemon PERFECT TURKEY Seasoning
A selection of root vegetables of your choice
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Cut the onions and vegetables into similar sizes, around 2x2inches.
3. Use paper towels to dry the skin of the turkey and clean inside the cavity.
4. Slide your (clean) hand between the skin and the breast meat beginning at the cavity opening and slowly separating them into a pocket.
5. Slide three knobs of butter under the breast skin on both sides of the turkey. Try to spread them around evenly.
6. Using the Perfect Turkey spice rub, work the mix into the skin all over the entire bird. Use your hands to press spice rub into the skin and into the cavity. The specially selected ingredients like smoked paprika, salt, garlic, spices, lemon peel, orange peel, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and sugar will marinate and infuse into the bird’s meat and caramelize for a crispy skin.
7. Stuff the cavity with the onion halves, citrus, and garlic cloves.
8. Move the turkey to a roasting pan with a rack to avoid a soggy bird.
9. Use a large piece of foil, just big enough to fully cover the turkey breast and mold it over the entire breast area. (This will ensure the breasts don’t overcook and become dry)
10. Roast the turkey for 2 hours and then carefully remove the foil from the turkey breasts. Then, increase the temperature to 400 F and cook the bird for another hour. Using an instant-read thermometer, check the internal temperature by getting a reading from the meatiest part of the thigh. The ideal temperature is 165 degrees F. Make sure the skin has crisped up and become a deep golden color.
11. Remove the turkey from the oven (remember it is heavy and hot!) and let it rest for the appropriate time for the weight. Then carve.
Notes
Notes
Serve with your selection of root vegetables and favorite sides. Give thanks and enjoy.
Americans insist on doing things their own way, don’t they?
“Oh, the world uses the metric system? We’ll make our own unit of measurement!”
“Football? Oh, no! We call that soccer. We have our own football.”
“The world spells it ‘kebab?’ We’ll go with ‘kabob.'”
We can’t settle all of these inconsistencies in one day, but we will start with ‘kebab.’ We’re siding with the rest of humanity on this one. K-E-B-A-B.
But, no matter how you want to spell it, these steak kebabs were made for our Midnight Toker blend. And they should be on your grill, like, yesterday.
The Midnight Toker blend has been a best-seller with barbecue dudes, grill masters and all around gangsters of love since we started. It includes some badass Syrian import chiles like the Aleppo chile flake — one that has more of a fruit flavor than the heat you’d expect. It’s the perfect blend to blast onto something as simple as kebabs and have the whole crew asking how you became a flavor master overnight.
Feel free to experiment with the meat and veggie combos on this recipe. Not only would it be great with chicken, you could also sub out some interesting vegetables depending on the season. Really, the only non-negotiable here is the Midnight Toker.
As black as the heart that blends it, Buffalo Bill’s Black Gold makes an excellent looking, and more importantly, excellent tasting chicken breast. We drizzle ours with a chipotle cream sauce that gives a nice heat and a cool contrast look to the dish.
Ingredients
EVOO
Chicken Breast
Buffalo Bills Black Gold
Sour Cream
Mayonnaise
Chipotle In Adobo Sauce
Instructions
Pat Chicken Breast Dry
Drizzle with EVOO
Spice it up with about 1 TBSP of Buffalo Bills Black Gold
Bake at 350 for 20-25, until internal temp reaches 165F.
Okay, we’re just going to say it. If you haven’t had a low country boil, you aren’t living. There’s something about eating food with your hands that’s been dumped onto a newspaper-covered table that makes you feel alive.
Let’s have a quick history lesson, shall we? Back in the day, this seafood-laden feast was called “Frogmore Stew,” referencing a small area of South Carolina. But, don’t worry, no frogs here… yet. There’s a lot of debate on the origin of this dish, but most agree that it came from local shrimpers who were making best of what they had to put in a stew for their crew. (Say that five times fast). Similar to a Louisiana-style crawfish boil, this is a blessed mix of boiled shrimp, potatoes, corn, onions and spicy andouille sausage.
The secret ingredient to our low country boil is our Bayou Bay Crab Boil — it’s laced with just enough cayenne to get approval from Forrest Gump and Bubba himself. (RIP)
Optional: cocktail sauce, extra lemon and melted butter
Instructions
Fill large stock pot with 4-6 quarts of water. Add lemon and Bayou Crab Boil blend and bring to a boil.
Add potatoes, return to boil and cook for 5 minutes.
Add sausage and onions, return to boil and cook 5 more minutes.
Add corn, return to boil and cook until potatoes and corn are cooked.
Add shrimp and cook, stirring gently until shrimp turn pink. (About 3 more minutes)
Drain in colander and serve on newspaper with optional sauces — cocktail, melted butter and lemon wedges.
Notes
This recipe is traditionally dumped and served on newspaper and eaten with your hands. Although it’s highly recommended, if you can’t handle it, you can skip it.
I'm Zach. In 2013, I started selling spices to restaurants in Colorado. Today, THE SPICE GUY is growing faster than I could have imagined. This blog is where our team shares recipes, tips, interviews with influential food folks and more.
