Flavor Profiles

[DanQuixote]

Like many others that have acquired this addiction called "Meat Smokin" , I have been occupied with research, experimentation, and practice. I have the latest books, high end equipment, and the desire to become an accomplished "Pit Master". Most of what I have learned/discovered has been through good folks and forums, for which I am truly grateful. I come across many references to this elusive creature known only as " Winning Flavor Profile". As best I can determine this is entirely dependent upon the various judges overall impression of the taste. I know some folks that have attended the training necessary to be chosen as a judge in the MIM competition. They know what they like, but I seriously doubt any of them has the ability to discern individual spices used in these rubs to achieve a specific "Profile". Yes...anyone can determine salt, garlic, pepper, onion...and a few other common ingredients, but damned few are able to pick out the more esoteric spices involved, or pepper varietals. I have one demand of my rubs and sauces....can I feed them to a 10 yr old and see smiles rather than watch them make noises only a dog can hear.

 

[Smoking Piney]

My one demand for rubs and spices is "can I feed this to my wife". :-D

 

[DanQuixote]

My one demand for rubs and spices is "can I feed this to my wife". :-D

Same basic principle I guess. I don't think Carolina Reapers or Ghost peppers belong in anything but "Bear Spray". I'll get a lot of flack for that I suppose, but that is why they make chocolate and vanilla I reckon.

 

[Joe Black]

My "flavor profile" always leans to the sweeter side rather than the hotter side. My friends and family also prefer it that way. None of my family are conditioned to hot things, so it's easy for me to stay on the sweet side and appeal to most everyone.

 

[electron_si]

I typically stay on the sweet side as well with a little back end heat. Everyone seems really happy with it usually. I like things a little hotter so I go with hot BBQ sauce or make wings seperate.

 

[Badjak]

I work the other way around....
I don't have a sweet tooth and neither have most of my friends. I do like bold flavours though, and my rubs and sauces are always on the spicy/hot side.
If I know there are kids around, or in general people that do not like spicy food or people I don't know, I will change accordingly.

 

[IamMadMan]

I guess I am in the middle, I don't care for sweet rubs and my wife doesn't care for hot.

So I go for savory in a rub, and serve the sweet or hot sauces on the side. The meat stands on it's own, but for those who want extra also sweet/hot have it in the side of sauces.

Personal tastes are as diverse as the day is long... Some like sweet, some like salty, some like heat, and others in combinations. Personal tastes and likes are the most subjective factors in creating a good rub/sauce. Because personal tastes are so diverse, you may love the end product, but others may dislike it. The best rub/sauce in the world is the one you personally like best.

However in taste tests; More often than not the rub/sauce you like best will not be the one you make yourself. This is because we get locked into a closed mind of what spices we should put into the rub we make. Personal changes in taste are difficult to make and we tend to lock in on a specific set of ingredients and exclude others that don't seem to appeal to our personal tastes. This is the reason many people chose other rubs/sauces in taste tests. They break our barriers of normal taste and expand our flavor horizons. Remember that a rub is not only a mixture of spices and herbs, but it is a mixture of flavors. A good rub/sauce will have a balanced flavor that builds layers of flavor on the meat, without overpowering it. While a rub/sauce will add flavor, it is also a flavor enhancer that brings out and compliments the overall flavor of the meat with subtle additions of salty, sweet, savory, and spicy flavors in perfect balance to our taste buds.

However keep in mind that in your quest for competition flavor profiles. What one uses in competition is designed to pack a power punch of flavor in one bite/taste. Continuing to eat might result in taste sensory overload. But again even with competition judges, they have independent tastes and likes that will come into play as they look for what they have been trained to find as "The Best".

 

[Right on Q]

Judges (and most people) are looking for a great piece of meat. A single "Winning Flavor Profile" is somewhat of a misleading. Many different combinations of spices, rubs, sauces, injections, etc can win or please the general public. As long as it's balanced with flavor it will generally do well. The thing that can make a good piece of meat great IMO is tenderness. Hit that consistently and you've accomplished something.

Also welcome to the forum Dan. Good to have another Memphis area brethren.

 

[bbqwizard]

I prefer a well-rounded savory flavor with heat on the back end. My wife prefers candy.

 

[Burnt at Both Endz]

...can I feed them to a 10 yr old and see smiles rather than watch them make noises only a dog can hear.

Put some salt&pepper on it for a rub, cook it properly, which will leave it juicy. It may actually taste like it was intended to feed your family and what it's natural flavors were meant to be....just a thought!

 

[legendaryhog]

When I started bbqing many years ago I had rubs that had 20 ingredients in them, crazy complex sauces, doing bbq contests, all that chit....

As time goes by, everything actually has gotten simpler and simpler. My brisket rub is salt and pepper.

Get good at selecting good products. Make friends with your butcher and some local farmers and start with the best raw product that you can afford. Now your only goal will be to not fark it up and you don't have to worry about getting all fancy.

 

[mjpmap]

"Q" profiles for me reflect my overall attitude about food and drink. I like wine & food pairings. I love good whisky's for their flavor, and I love spices for the region of the world they reflect. We have all heard of chinese five spice, but how many know about Mediterranean seven spice. Matching smoke woods to the type of food I'm cooking is an absolute joy. I do admire all the brethren who take their craft into the comp arena, but that's just not my ambition. Experiments always have a percentage of failure, but I believe in the adage "great risk, great reward". If someone were to ask the best meal I've done, my answer would be, " the next one".

 

[cyberstrategist]

This is why I have two different approaches.

First - A set of rubs and processes for my day to day smoking needs.

Second - Used for those one bite of one slice situations where it's all or nothing on the plate like competition cooks.

In general, go with what the crowd you're feeding likes and enjoys

If there is no joy coming from the food they are eating, then find something that "pops" for them so they'll keep asking for more...

 

[hurricanedavid]

I've been trying to really put some heat on my spare ribs for my Mexican friends. I've tried several hot rubs and even included Seven Peppers seasoning to add extreme heat. The heat always seems to dissipate by the end of the cook, the ribs have a great flavor profile but are lacking in heat. I'm reluctant to simply dump cayenne pepper on the ribs in fear of turning them nuclear.

I would appreciate anyone's recommendation for a hot rub that will still be hot on ribs at the end of the cook.

 

[jham0077]

The wife likes hot, I don't mind candy. I usually find a good middle ground. My sauce is a sweet heat.

Hurricane, I'd say lightly sprinkle cayenne on them when they're done till you find the right spot. Or up it in the rub. That could lead to alot of rib cooks and sampling. Doubt anyone would mind though.

 

[dport7]

Pork butt, savory.
Brisket, salt and pepper.
steaks, burgers, saltpepper, and what ever anybody else would want, I make to order.
chicken, milk soaked, savory
beef jerky, "northern cut 1/4 in."sweet heat, homemade bbq sauce=mild'.
Northern cut, hot, bbq sauce with habanaro, jalapeño pepper juice.
Southwestern cut, thin 1/8 to shaved, mild. pickle juice, dill, white pepper
Southwestern cut hot habanaro jalapeño juice, dill cayenne pepper.
Northern cut is smoke dried.
Southwest cut is dried only, no smoke.

 

[LYU370]

Also remember, what comp cooks serve to judges, they'd never serve to their own family/friends. Judges take one bite. You gotta try and blow them away with flavor. Your friends are hopefully going to have more than one bite of your chicken, ribs. etc.

 

[Mikhail]

I guess since I only compete with my own past cooks, I can please myself. I like spicy stuff, especially ribs, but I make them on the light savory side. My Wife is not as big on hot, unfortunately. What I want to taste is well cooked quality meat and smoke. Whatever rub or seasoning I use should be an accent, not the dominant flavor.

Where I really get into building layer after layer of flavor is in chili.

 

[Burnt at Both Endz]

I've been trying to really put some heat on my spare ribs for my Mexican friends. I've tried several hot rubs and even included Seven Peppers seasoning to add extreme heat. The heat always seems to dissipate by the end of the cook, the ribs have a great flavor profile but are lacking in heat. I'm reluctant to simply dump cayenne pepper on the ribs in fear of turning them nuclear.

I would appreciate anyone's recommendation for a hot rub that will still be hot on ribs at the end of the cook.

You may need to add more rub towards the end of the cook.

 

[longhair75]

I don't compete. Most of the time I am just cooking for my family. That being said I cook mostly savory, with a moderate amount of heat. Just my opinion, but when you cook for heat, it isn't hard to get to the point where you no longer taste the meat.

The food should be foremost in any flavor profile. Past a point, you are no longer eating ribs, but a delivery vehicle for Ghost Pepper.


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