I have an $80 prime rib to roast, and now I find out that rock salt is as rare as hen’s teeth in New Hampshire! Moreover, when I ask for it at supermarkets, they look at me like I had a third eye. Helloo?!?!? How do you people make ice cream?
Anybody know where I can get food grade rock salt (not ice melt for the driveway, it often has potassium chloride)?
Is there a store near you that sells homemade ice cream churns? That’s a common use for rock salt, so they might be able to hook you up.
Oh, you can lick it off just 'bout any sidewalk, I imagine.
You can also often find the item at health or natural/organic dirty-hippy food stores. Check out Wild Oats/Whole Foods/Vitamin Cottage etc. for your area and they are likely either to have rock-salt or sea-salt available for purchase. Frankly, the sea-salt has some other minerals or whatever in it that gives the food a little bit “sweeter-salty” taste that I actually prefer a bit to regular salt.
Are the crystals in Kosher salt too small for your purpose?
Many brands of rock salt sold for water softeners contain nothing but food grade NaCl. Check the label though as some also contain an anti-scaling agent.
Do you have a Super-Walmart nearby? - I know their grocery section contains boxes of rock salt.
Sea salt and kosher salt are both too fine grained for roasting. I’m using this recipe, and fine grain salt will flavor the meat too much.
I called the Walmart Supercenter in Epping, NH, and they said they do not carry it. I think it is a New England thing; they have 37 varieties of macaroni & cheese, but if you want chow mein noodles, you have to drive to New York.
kosher salt?
As I said, kosher salt is much too fine, and will flavor the meat too much.
I can’ t help with a local salt supplier, but PLEASE tell us how the meat turns out. That sounds super.
I just stopped at the grocery store, and thought to check out the canning and pickling supplies. They sell pickling salt in two pound boxes. It’s food grade rock salt. From shaking the box, it sounds like medium size crystals (maybe 5 mm), not that flake stuff.
Wal-marts in NH do sell it - the one in Epping is new and odd. Try the calling the ones in Rochester and Dover, I saw it at one of the two within the past few months. I’m not sure where you are in the state, but one of the wal-marts around are bound to have it as well. Portsmouth, Newington, Plastow (probably your best bet if Epping is a semi-convient location), Seabrook…
And if you want Chow Mein noodles, go to Market Basket (any) and look in the international isle. I had a chow mein sandwich yesterday 
I must live in the grocery black hole of NH, 'cuz the local Market Basket was the butt of my chow mein noodle jab. They don’t have 'em.
You might want to try Associated Grocers http://www.agne.com/cash.htm in Manchester NH. They sell to the catering/small store enviornment, and are open to the public for “cash & Carry”. My FIL is a regular shopper there, as he can get many food service items that he has used over the years as a professional cook. (he’s retired now, but still cooks up a storm).
If they don’t have it, they may be able to point you towards it.
On the Chow Mein noodle bit, try Shaws. Look with the rest of the chinese food made by “LaChoy”.
=Butler
You do know that the salt used in making ice cream doesn’t actually go into the ice cream? Therefore, there’s no reason for it to be “food grade” - I use regular road salt.
I’m not making ice cream, I’m making (check that; already made) prime rib, which requires direct contact between the rock salt and the beef. Road salt often contains potassium chloride and other additives you do not want contaminating your prime rib; at least, I don’t.
As it turns out, I never found any rock salt, being as it was late on Christmas Eve when I started looking, and I cooked it today (Christmas Day). That sort of limits the number of places open who might have it for sale. I roasted the prime rib without the rock salt, and it turned out fine. I still would like to try it some day though.
I’ve done a bit more looking around, and for all of the “salt crust” recipies that I’ve been able to find, they use kosher salt. The box(es) of Kosher salt that I have at home (3diamonds, and Morton’s) both have a recipie for salt crusted food (one fish, one beef). I’d imagine that the fat and the moisture that are coming out of the roast would prevent too much of the salt from being absorbed…
YMMV but I might try this myself!
-Butler