Why do people put Sugar in their Rub?

Bark.

Bite!

I like to smoke my sugar first hot and fast. Gives a whole new flavor profile. I call it delicious others call it burnt.

I had to look this up again, as I recalled something from my HS Chemistry days.

The Mallard Reaction: amino acids and reducing sugars combine with heat to produce hundreds of smell and flavors.


Without additional sugars, the naturally occurring sugars will combine with the amino acids (I recall these might be part of what makes up fat) forming the bark.

I don't think the addition of sugar in the rub adds as much "candy sweet" taste as it does the more complex salty/acidic/sweet flavors of the mallard reaction (think bacon!!!!)

El Ropo said:

If you google for popular rib rubs, many of the recipes contain more than 70% sugar. Alton Brown's recipe is closer to 80% sugars. I lost all respect for him after seeing one of his BBQ episodes.

He actually stated in the show that cooking ribs above 230 F would result in rib jerky. Where did he get that BS from?

Click to expand...

Hey hey hey..... that recipe is what got me started on the path to que.

The combination of sweet, salty, and spicy really make meats like pork and chicken sing. I dont like any of those 3 to overpower but rather balance the 3.

For beef I use very little sugar as I don't like sweet beef. I lean more towards the umami flavor profiles.

As for burning, sugar doesn't burn till 350 degrees. That is why even with copious amounts of sugar in a rub, if you smoke anywhere under that, you do not get a burnt taste.The sugar will combine with the liquid fat and help produce a bark however and also the hotter the sugar gets the more color you will get in your bark.