Step into Ree Drummond's pantry on the ranch and there's always one ingredient on the shelf: Lawry's Seasoned Salt.
She's loved this iconic red-capped jar of seasoning for as long as she can remember. It's been a staple in her kitchen for years, and it seems that it always will be, no matter how many new spices she stocks up on in her bulk-buying. "It's one tiny ingredient that sends anything over the top," she says. "You won't believe how much it transforms!"
Let's talk about Lawry's. If you're a longtime fan of The Pioneer Woman, then you're already familiar with it in Ree's cooking repertoire of comfort foods and steak dinners. So what is it, exactly? Lawry's is a signature blend of salt, herbs, and spices (including onion and garlic powders, paprika, celery seed, and turmeric). Just a spoonful adds smoky-sweet flavor to any dish, as proven by so many recipes that are kept on rotation in the Drummond household: roasted beef tenderloin for special occasions, pan-fried ribeye steak for any ol' night of the week, and the family favorite Chicken Spaghetti casserole. In fact, it's part of what Ree calls her "never-fail arsenal" of ingredients for cooking a juicy steak, which was the first-ever post on her blog so many years ago.
When Ree's husband Ladd mans the grill for his legendary grilled tenderloin, he uses Lawry's along with McCormick's lemon pepper seasoning and a stick of butter to season the meat before it goes over the open flame. And a sprinkle of Lawry's is good in ways you wouldn't expect—added to mac and cheese, creamy mashed potatoes, or freshly baked cornbread. It's even good sprinkled over buttered crackers or a bowl of homemade Chex party mix. "I find that 1 teaspoon of the stuff is really good enough, though another 1/4 to 1/2 would work if you're really into salt," Ree recommends in most recipes. "But start with 1 teaspoon, and you can add more later, after you've tasted it."
Not too shabby for a prepared seasoning. "If it enhances the flavor of the food on which you're sprinkling it, is that so wrong?" Ree asks, adding that it "makes the world of food a better place because of it." Buy yourself a jar the next time you round the grocery store. One taste, and you won't want to cook without it either!
Alexandra Churchill is the Deputy Editor at The Pioneer Woman, overseeing the site's strategy in topics of food and cooking, home and life, beauty and style, crafts, and holidays.
