Should meals cooked at low temperatures be salted at finish?
This depends on the texture desired and if using enzymes to cause autolysis or tissue breakdown. A quick jaunt shows that calpain and cathepsin the two major enzymes for breaking down meat at low temperatures are inhibited by NaCl. My current hypothesis is that most meats should be salted at finish if the time in the active temperature range of the enzymes 33-53C is less than an hour then the meats should be salted at finish or before browning to maximize proteolysis. Meats cooked longer than an hour in the active temperature range could see significant breakdown without an inhibitor.
https://academic.oup.com/ps/article/87/10/2126/1540138
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0309174011004116#!
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01202359
Can MSG be used as an addition or replacement for NaCl in a brining solution?
This one is more a if MSG can grant umami could a marinade benefit from MSG to enhance the “meatiness”. I’ve read conflicting reviews but will work on an actual hypothesis. Will have to separate sodium and chloride interactions.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22252368
Maybe I’m just obsessed with salt?
https://www.finecooking.com/article/the-science-of-salt