The day I stopped rushing my rib prep

I used to be a guy who'd just slather sauce on ribs and throw em on the smoker, thinking that was it. Then about 3 years ago at a competition in Lockhart, Texas, a pitmaster named Jim told me to let the rub sit on the meat for at least 45 minutes before cooking, let it sweat in. Now I do it every time, even for backyard cooks, and the bark comes out way deeper and stickier. Has anyone else noticed a big difference from just giving the rub time to set?

2 comments

2 Comments

hayden58711d ago

Whoa, that Lockhart advice is solid gold. I had a similar experience when I finally stopped being impatient and let the rub sit for a full hour. The thing I wonder about though is are you covering the ribs while the rub sits or leaving them uncovered? Ive tried both and uncovered gives me a tackier surface but covered seems to let the salt penetrate deeper. What's your take on that?

jaken2311d ago

Wait, hold on. You actually covered them? That is wild to me, @hayden587. I think I have to argue with you on that one. Every time I've tried covering ribs while the rub sits, it always ends up with a weird pasty texture on the surface. The salt pulls out moisture, and then it just sits there in plastic wrap or foil, basically rehydrating the whole bark situation before it even hits the smoker. I need that air to hit the meat so the rub can dry out and form that pellicle. Leaving them uncovered for at least an hour is the only way I get that tacky, sticky surface that grabs smoke like a magnet. I have had way too many batches of ribs come out with a soggy, steamed texture from covering them, and that just kills the whole point of a good rub.

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