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View Full Version : Rib Rub "Issue", Help Please!


nucornhusker
02-13-2012, 01:11 PM
I have and weird issue with ribs that I would appreciate some advice on. :pray:

I cook on a stickburner burning only wood, no charcoal. I burn Hickory and Oak usually, but I have also used Cherry and Pecan. When I cook ribs, I cook only spares trimmed to St. Louis style, un-enhanced usually from Sam's. I eat them with no sauce or injection at all, just dry rubbed then cooked. I don't foil. I just let them cook until they are done. Pretty simple. My problem is that no matter what rub I use (except for plain salt and pepper) my ribs always taste the same. You can't tell any rubs apart.

For example, yesterday, I cooked spares with one rack with 3Eyz, one rack with Mill's Magic Dust (the one you buy, not the recipe from the book), one rack with Yardbird, one rack with Salt and Pepper, and one rack using a rub from my favorite local BBQ restaurant we frequented before I cooked on my own (for a control since I know how they should taste). All of them except for the Salt and Pepper tasted pretty much exactly the same. I figured I would be able to at least tell the Magic Dust one apart since it is such a different type of rub, but I really couldn't.

The kicker is that no matter what else I cook; brisket, pork shoulder, chicken, pig candy, MOINKS, whatever, I CAN tell the difference between different rubs, and pretty easily.

What am I doing wrong here?

Thank you in advance. Any advice is appreciated.

pigpen269
02-13-2012, 01:16 PM
Are you rubbing the ribs ahead of time or are you just rubbing right before you put them on? I prefer to rub my ribs at least the night before I plan on cooking that way the meat has a chance to soak up some flavor. I have noticed that if i just rub them and put them on that they really don't get much of the flavor and the rub just becomes the bark.

JS-TX
02-13-2012, 01:20 PM
My guess is that the rubs are similar enough so that when they have been on your ribs for x amount of hours in the smoker, they have caramelized and end up tasting the same. Another reason is that maybe they are getting over smoked by your stick burner. I bet you probably even get a thick bark on your ribs too. You may want to consider burning some lump or charcoal vs. pure wood, to minimize the heavy smoke. You can also go lighter on the rub initially and then sprinkle some more on during the last hour.

Fatback Joe
02-13-2012, 01:22 PM
Can anyone else that tries them tell them apart?

nucornhusker
02-13-2012, 01:27 PM
Are you rubbing the ribs ahead of time or are you just rubbing right before you put them on? I prefer to rub my ribs at least the night before I plan on cooking that way the meat has a chance to soak up some flavor. I have noticed that if i just rub them and put them on that they really don't get much of the flavor and the rub just becomes the bark.Usually they are rubbed about two to four hours in advance.

bigabyte
02-13-2012, 01:29 PM
Do you apply a light dusting of rub? Maybe the pork flavor is dominating so much the minor differences in the rubs are lost in the whole thing? Not that you should cake rub on your ribs...but maybe you just need a little more?

nucornhusker
02-13-2012, 01:30 PM
My guess is that the rubs are similar enough so that when they have been on your ribs for x amount of hours in the smoker, they have caramelized and end up tasting the same. Another reason is that maybe they are getting over smoked by your stick burner. I bet you probably even get a thick bark on your ribs too. You may want to consider burning some lump or charcoal vs. pure wood, to minimize the heavy smoke. You can also go lighter on the rub initially and then sprinkle some more on during the last hour.I don't get an over smoked flavor, and I would be sensitive to that. But I do get a pretty good thick bark. But the bark is only thick on the top, not the bone side of the ribs. And I rub both sides about the same.

As far as my smoke, it's blue at worst, it's usually just "clear" heat vapor leaving my stack with no color.

You may be on to something here though.

nucornhusker
02-13-2012, 01:33 PM
Do you apply a light dusting of rub? Maybe the pork flavor is dominating so much the minor differences in the rubs are lost in the whole thing? Not that you should cake rub on your ribs...but maybe you just need a little more?You could be onto something here also. I usually season lightly for a few reasons. First I don't want these rubs to get so thick and hard. I could be wrong on that thought. Secondly we usually prefer our food less seasoned so we can taste the meat first. I don't go real easy on the rub, not I don't go very generously either.

nucornhusker
02-13-2012, 01:35 PM
Can anyone else that tries them tell them apart?Just my wife and she notices the same thing I do. I cook usually just for my little family, and our kids are just too young to have them give input. My daughter would just say they are all "yummy". :becky:

JS-TX
02-13-2012, 01:54 PM
By chance are you slathering your ribs w/mustard to hold the rub in place? I think your ribs could probably benefit from foiling for about an 1-1/2 hours. There might not be enough moisture or fat to keep the ribs from developing that thick bark. Some people like that bark, I prefer a lighter bark on my ribs.

Gore
02-13-2012, 02:00 PM
I would suggest that you apply the rub after you boil the ribs and before you put them in your stickburner. I find when I apply the rub before I boil the ribs, they don't have nearly as much flavor. Try that and let me know how you like them. :thumb:

landarc
02-13-2012, 02:09 PM
Just out of curiosity, if they taste good, and you don't cook competition, and the family loves them, why bother with it all, cook and enjoy until the complaints start. I happen to think I can tell the difference between the rubs I use regularly, which doesn't mean I really can though. I use Simply Marvelous Spicy apple, or SM sweet and spicy on pork, I also go with Dizzy Dust and I feel I can tell the difference there. I am sure I can tell Plowboys Yardbird apart from those as well.

nucornhusker
02-13-2012, 03:49 PM
By chance are you slathering your ribs w/mustard to hold the rub in place? I think your ribs could probably benefit from foiling for about an 1-1/2 hours. There might not be enough moisture or fat to keep the ribs from developing that thick bark. Some people like that bark, I prefer a lighter bark on my ribs.I use oil, not mustard. I get a good bark, but it can get hard or tough. Even tough for a freshly sharpened knife to get through. But the flavor isn't bad. I'm just not getting the perfect bark and can't tell the difference between rubs in flavor. And this problem is only for Ribs. :confused:

nucornhusker
02-13-2012, 03:50 PM
I would suggest that you apply the rub after you boil the ribs and before you put them in your stickburner. I find when I apply the rub before I boil the ribs, they don't have nearly as much flavor. Try that and let me know how you like them. :thumb:Oh Gore, thanks for your sage advice. :laugh:

nucornhusker
02-13-2012, 03:52 PM
Just out of curiosity, if they taste good, and you don't cook competition, and the family loves them, why bother with it all, cook and enjoy until the complaints start. I happen to think I can tell the difference between the rubs I use regularly, which doesn't mean I really can though. I use Simply Marvelous Spicy apple, or SM sweet and spicy on pork, I also go with Dizzy Dust and I feel I can tell the difference there. I am sure I can tell Plowboys Yardbird apart from those as well.They taste very good, but I am interested in why all rubs taste the same on my ribs, but I can easily tell the difference in flavors between rubs on everything else.

BIG ALAN
02-13-2012, 04:39 PM
Mustard, 1/8" rub all over, you'll get the flavor of the rub. IMHO

---k---
02-13-2012, 07:15 PM
That is really odd. When I've done racks with different rubs, I can easily tell the differences. I find big differences between something like SM Pecan and 3Eyz. It is so obvious that even our friends 5 and 7 year old can tell one from the next. Try a thicker layer next time. Not quite shake and bake, but cover the surface with red - at least as an experiment and then back off from there. I don't use mustard or oil anymore.

SirPorkaLot
02-13-2012, 07:22 PM
+1 on getting rid of the mustard slather. It does nothing but waste perfectly good mustard.

If the ribs are dry and you feel you need to add something to help rub adhere, you can use oil.

I have not found that to be the case, as I let the ribs set outside the cryovac for a time after rinsing them and even when I pat dry, after they have sat for a while there is always enough pig juice to adhere the rub to.

If you are smoking the bark to a real dark caramelization, then you are likely not to taste much difference in your final bark regardless, unless you toss something in the rub that sticks out (IE: Red Pepper flakes)

nucornhusker
02-13-2012, 07:34 PM
If you are smoking the bark to a real dark caramelization, then you are likely not to taste much difference in your final bark regardless, unless you toss something in the rub that sticks out (IE: Red Pepper flakes)My ribs do turn out dark when I am done, even with salt and pepper. It's just a deep caramelization on the meat, not burned sugar or creosote. They are a deep brownish mahogany, not black. Maybe I just need more rub and bite the bullet and foil when they reach the color I like.

Dan - 3eyzbbq
02-13-2012, 08:30 PM
More rub. An even coat and don't rub it in. Give it 30 minutes or so at room temp and let it liquify. Then smoke em low and slow. My rub is designed to be basic and agree with 95% of people out there. Not hot, not sweet, not anything but balanced. So it will never completely stand out, which is usually bad at a judging table. In any case, thx for trying 3eyz :)

BigBellyBBQ
02-14-2012, 07:55 AM
some good ideas here, however I will throw in my 3 cents..
look at the pre rub oil, it will impart flavor (I do not use)
let rub sit on ribs and wrap in plastiwrap for a couple hours at least
try some turbinado sprinkled on top after you put on cooking racks, this will seal your rub in..
watch you hickory wood, it seems to darken your bark, also look at exhaust and run that wide open, also look at smoke pattern inside.
you should taste the diffenent flavor profiles between the rubs and the common factor is your oil and type of wood. The ribs should have enough moisture to support themselves, they will look dry and then they start to glaze over again. I sometimes spritz with apple or pinea;;ple juice, but think about the common ties to your cooking procedure or even write it down then lok at the common points and then the different points, hopefully one of the ideas will click for you and help out..good luck..

Rick T
02-14-2012, 09:18 AM
More rub. An even coat and don't rub it in. :)

Why would you not rub the rub into the meat? Curious as I do and then let it sit for at least an hour.

Thanks,
Rick

K-Train
02-14-2012, 10:52 AM
Some say rubbing it in clogs the pores of the meat.

wacosson
02-14-2012, 12:05 PM
Even though you don't taste over-smokiness, I would assume that the flavor of the rub is burning out in the bark and the smoke is what you're really tasting. I would try a foil method a bit earlier to see if it will leave more rub flavor on there and use the heat to cook them. Use your rub liberally, preferably the night before, redust in the morning, and foil after a while. That should allow more flavor through.

JS-TX
02-14-2012, 12:43 PM
Why would you not rub the rub into the meat? Curious as I do and then let it sit for at least an hour.

Thanks,
Rick

It can create embedded clumps on your ribs, they will show as dark spots in the final product.

prudog
02-14-2012, 02:16 PM
I have noticed same thing when cooking with my offset cookers using all wood and I always figured it had to be creosote or just the extra smoke. I seemed to notice more changes in texture and tenderness from different rubs (sugar vs no sugar, etc.) more than seasoning flavors in wood-fired offsets. I get totally different colors and flavors when using vertical smokers predominately fueled by charcoal. I figured most would simply dismiss it as improper technique and fire control, but I kinda doubt that would always be the case. My wife has an extremely sensitive pallet and can tell the different in rubs in the offset, but unfortunately for me, I usually can't. Seasoning the night before did not seem to work out when I did ribs because they would get too salty/hammy and obviously I thought it changed the texture... maybe I just did it too long.

Chuckwagonbbqco
02-15-2012, 01:33 AM
Go Big Red

Did the ribs with just salt and pepper come out of the smoker with a different color than the other racks? Most rubs have a fair amount of sugar or brown sugar and are heat sensitive on the high end. Stick burners are sometimes suseptable to heat spikes and overheated sugar tastes like overheated sugar. The common flavor could be overheated sugar. Most rubs are very similar--if you read 100 rub recipes the same ingredients come up time after time---kosher salt--turbinado sugar or brown sugar--black pepper in various grinds--some form of paprika--then other spices.

If I was in your predicament I would experiment. I would rub some racks of ribs with different rubs---and cook them in my oven at the same temperature that I cook them in the smoker----and then taste the ribs. This experiment would remove the equation of wood or smoke flavor and remove heat spike problems.

I would never ever tell any of my BBQ friends that I "baked" ribs. I would post the results on BBQ Brethren, and say my "neighbor" experimented and told me about it.

Next time I drive thru scenic Nebraska--headed to the sand hills of Wheeler County maybe I will stop by.

Sean "Puffy" Coals
02-15-2012, 06:10 AM
My advice would be similar to what others have said:

1) apply more rub
2) give the rub more time to work into the meat- overnight if possible
3) once the ribs achieve a nice dark red color, but before the sugars burn, wrap in foil for the rest of the cook
4) if that still doesn't help you tell the difference between the different rubs, start looking for a new tongue :tongue:.

nucornhusker
02-15-2012, 07:23 AM
Go Big Red

Did the ribs with just salt and pepper come out of the smoker with a different color than the other racks? Most rubs have a fair amount of sugar or brown sugar and are heat sensitive on the high end. Stick burners are sometimes suseptable to heat spikes and overheated sugar tastes like overheated sugar. The common flavor could be overheated sugar. Most rubs are very similar--if you read 100 rub recipes the same ingredients come up time after time---kosher salt--turbinado sugar or brown sugar--black pepper in various grinds--some form of paprika--then other spices.

If I was in your predicament I would experiment. I would rub some racks of ribs with different rubs---and cook them in my oven at the same temperature that I cook them in the smoker----and then taste the ribs. This experiment would remove the equation of wood or smoke flavor and remove heat spike problems.

I would never ever tell any of my BBQ friends that I "baked" ribs. I would post the results on BBQ Brethren, and say my "neighbor" experimented and told me about it.

Next time I drive thru scenic Nebraska--headed to the sand hills of Wheeler County maybe I will stop by.Thanks for the tips!

Yeah, it seems a common theme here is that I didn't use enough rub so I caramelized all of the rub and took out the flavor.

That is one heck of a trip for you to be out here. That drive though the sandhills sure is a "fun" one. :loco: