Celery Salt Is The Unique Ingredient Geoffrey Zakarian Loves To Use In Steak Rub

A first-class steak seasoning rub is one that accentuates the savory flavor of the meat without overpowering it. Spices, aromatics, and touches of sweetness can round out the steak's umami, but doing so requires a deft touch. That's certainly something that noted chef and food media personality Geoffrey Zakarian knows. His steak seasoning rub combines an elegant medley of flavors, yet isn't one that bows completely to tradition. Zakarian reaches deep into the spice rack for celery salt, an ingredient that adds an unexpected element to the steak, but one that ultimately underlines the main dish without being too assertive.

According to Zakarian, celery salt is an under-appreciated spice that he uses on everything from roast chicken to eggs. This blend of crushed celery seeds and salt brings the unique vegetal burst of celery — which, don't forget, is a major component of mirepoix and thus many stocks and sauces — along with the flavor enhancing qualities of salt. So it is entirely understandable why Zakarian would include it in his go-to steak rub. For this blend, the chef combines fresh cracked black pepper with celery salt, regular salt, and paprika, which make an excellent rub for hanger steak used in classic steak frites.

Celery is a singular flavor. It is at once bright, grassy, sweet, sharp, and bitter. Celery seeds convey much the same flavor, but far more concentrated. Celery salt obviously cuts the intensity of unmitigated celery seeds while also dialing it in by adding the flavor-enhancing qualities of salt. It should be noted, though, that when using celery salt, one needs to be mindful of the amount of salt going into a recipe and adjust accordingly.

Steak frites is but one way to make use of the celery salt that is likely hanging around your spice cabinet in the kitchen. Famously, it makes for an excellent addition to bloody mary mixes as well as for rimming the glass for said beverage. Zakarian goes on to say home mixologists should master its use in Manhattans, martinis, whiskey sours, and Aperol spritzes. Celery salt is also a critical part of the topping lineup for an authentic Chicago-style hot dog recipe. But the tastiness doesn't end there. Zakarian puts it on roast chicken which can easily be shredded to make chicken salad. As chicken salad commonly has sliced raw celery as one of its crunchy components, a touch of celery salt in the seasoning blend only serves to emphasize the flavor.