Arguments for Actually Measuring Your Pinch of Salt
As in chemistry, “good” food preparation is actually about consistent, reproducible results that usually require a fair amount of measurement (at least initially). The more you cook, the less you will have to measure, but it is always better to arm yourself with more knowledge than less.
That’s all to say, I think you should measure your pinch of salt whenever a recipe requires it. I know it sounds a little strange, but this knowledge may come in handy in the future. First, not all fingers can grab the same amount of salt, and the pinch of my tiny, stubby fingers is probably not equal to the pinch made by the long, elegant phalanges.
If you’ve ever had to sprinkle a certain amount of salt on a specific area of meat in order to dry it, this information will be helpful. For example, I know that my two-handed pinch captures about 1/5 of a quarter teaspoon of fine sea salt, so if I want to spread 1/2 teaspoon of salt on a steak or chop, I know I need about 10 pinches, which I I can confidently take it straight from the salt shaker, eliminating the need to use measuring spoons. Knowing how much salt is in a pinch is also helpful if you zoom in. Let’s say you had a chance to make a quarter glass of a really amazing vinaigrette; you know it took two pinches of salt for it to burst, and you know your pinch is about 1/16 teaspoon. The next time you make this dressing, you can make it even bigger by using this known variable so that your recipe scales efficiently. (For example, if you want to make 2 cups of the dressing, you know you will need a whole teaspoon of salt.)
You can also measure a pinch by mass (which is what Kenji does at Serious Eats ), but you’ll need a fancy kitchen scale for that. Instead, I like to write down how many pinches it takes to fill a 1/4 teaspoon and then do my calculations from there. It’s pretty finicky, but sometimes a little fussiness can make your life a little easier on the way.