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Not using brown sugar when you do a low an slow cook?

I was just curious to see how many of you guys put brown sugar on your ribs and pork butt when you put them on the egg for a low and slow cook. I generally rub both my pork butts an ribs liberally with brown sugar after I apply a salt rub. I've been watching a lot of Aaron Franklin BBQ videos am he never touches brown sugar in his rubs.

I get that for a brisket, but I alway thought it was a must have for pork butt and rubs.

Thoughts?

MP

Comments

  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,871
    What effect are you going for with a pork butt? Doesn't the brown sugar mostly end up just burning up over the course of the cook? Maybe the thinking is it gives better bark?
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • Franklin just does salt and pepper on everything. Very common to Central TX bbq. We don't do sweet sauce or rubs. Salt, pepper, vinegar are the building blocks of BBQ here.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • I put brown sugar on cedar plank salmon but not on low and slow cooks.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Never put brown sugar on anything. @Centex what you drinking?
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    I don't use brown sugar in anything either, especially beans!!!
     
    (it shouldn't burn during a lo-und-slo, I think sugars burn around 330 F...)

    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    Chubbs said:
    Never put brown sugar on anything. @Centex what you drinking?

    Chubbs I just got a call from Al Sharpton. He is not only upset by your avatar, now he is wanting an explanation on the brown sugar remark.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
    I don't know for sure but I think my favorite rub for ribs and butts contains some brown sugar. I can taste it in there. I do add some to the sauce that I apply to my ribs for the last hour of the cook.
    Dave - Austin, TX
  • Chubbs said:
    Never put brown sugar on anything. @Centex what you drinking?
    sadly, nothing. Might need to fix that. Be right back.  
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Mud Pig
    Mud Pig Posts: 489
    Interesting, I always put a lot of brown sugar on my butts and ribs at the beginning of the cooks. It never burns, just caramelizes nicely. I've been looking to develop my own rub lately due to the unavailability of my favorite rub (I can only get it in Florida and they won't ship it). So I'm going to be doing some test cooks this weekend.

    MP
  • I don't put sugar in my rib rub anymore. Too dark in color for me even ow and slow.
  • smokeyj
    smokeyj Posts: 340
    I starting messing with coconut sugar in place of brown sugar. So far I really like the results
  • yzzi
    yzzi Posts: 1,843
    Mud Pig said:

    Interesting, I always put a lot of brown sugar on my butts and ribs at the beginning of the cooks. It never burns, just caramelizes nicely. I've been looking to develop my own rub lately due to the unavailability of my favorite rub (I can only get it in Florida and they won't ship it). So I'm going to be doing some test cooks this weekend.

    MP

    What rub and from where?
    Dunedin, FL
  • Mud Pig
    Mud Pig Posts: 489
    smokeyj said:

    I starting messing with coconut sugar in place of brown sugar. So far I really like the results

    I definitely never thought of coconut sugar. I actually had some ribs done with nothing but salt an pepper at a friends house this past weekend an they were great. That's what has got me thinking about doing more of a vinegar based salty rib. It's going to be a test cook weekend.

  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    I don't use brown sugar and any of my meats, I did do a brisket with 1/2 cow lick and 1/2 turbinado sugar once it turned out pretty good. 
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
  • flemster
    flemster Posts: 269
    I like brown sugar on my low and slow pork shoulder.  Gives a really nice bark.  Having said that, did one this weekend without (out of brown sugar) and it was perfectly acceptable.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Keywords: Gator, Nashvegas, LBGE, Looftlighter, Thermapen in Racing Green (faster than the red one!), PSWOO2, Spider with CI, IQ120
  • NibbleMeThis
    NibbleMeThis Posts: 2,295
    I use brown sugar in my pork rubs and most of my chicken rubs, but not for brisket.  At low and slow temps, the sugar burning has never been a problem for me. 
    Knoxville, TN
    Nibble Me This
  • beteez
    beteez Posts: 548
    I use turbanado in rubs never has a problem burning
  • boatbum
    boatbum Posts: 1,273

    I do what I do for one reason.    I have a wife who loves bark.  If it has bark, then she likes, and agrees with me cooking more.

    Therefore I do things that have given me bark - which includes sugars as a exterior binder on top of the normal rub.

    Call me crazy!!!! but happy wife = happy life....

     

    Cookin in Texas
  • yzzi
    yzzi Posts: 1,843
    I usually use brown sugar on butts and ribs. I like it.
    Dunedin, FL
  • SmokinDAWG82
    SmokinDAWG82 Posts: 1,705
    I only use salt and pepper on Pork butts but I do use brown sugar on my ribs
    LBGE
    Go Dawgs! - Marietta, GA
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,674
    brown sugar on pork butts, honey on ribs,  and a couple cups of white sugar for an hour or two on a brisket to be scraped off just before the cook before applying a pepper rub
    :D i guess im not from texas
    :)) everything gets some added cayenne or chipotle, need to find some ground habanero
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it