Ribs: rub the night before or just prior to smoking?

Mayberry · March 2015

I've cooked a lot of ribs in the past few years and they always turn out great. I've removed silver skin and left it on, foiled and then didn't, sauced and left dry. They've all been good and it just depends on what I'm in the mood for when I cook. I'm going simple tomorrow: 3 racks of baby backs and 1 rack of St Louis ribs, all work just kosher salt, black pepper & granulated garlic. One thing I've never tried is rubbing the night before and putting in the fridge overnight. Will the salt dry the ribs out if it's on that long, or better penetrate and make them better?

st¡ke · March 2015

No matter. No difference i mean

You'll often hear warnings against going very long with rub be ause it could give a 'hammy' taste. it's not possible to cure them in the least bit. Even after a week.

Simply not enough salt o do anything.

Mickey · March 2015

I go 30 mins for no other reason than that's how I have always done it. Most of the time it's "let's have ribs, run to the store". And that's all the time you got.

Nanook · March 2015

I rub them right before I put them on the Egg. Always turn out great.

st¡ke · March 2015

I screwed up and missed the window, so they sat in the fridge a week. And i have decided to do ribs and then bought and threw them on the grill within an hour. No difference.

Except the longer you go the more of a crust you can develop. But it's marginal

Botch · March 2015

Four racks? Rub ONE of the BB's the night before, mark with a toothpick, and cook 'em all as usual, then you tell us the difference!
Someone here is doing that with rubbed vs. brined brisket; I love these kinds of "side-by-side" experiments.

TigerTony · March 2015

I'm a "prior to" type of guy. I'm not saying that the night before isn't better. It very well might be.
I just don't plan enough time ahead very often. I do all most everything spur of the moment.

st¡ke · March 2015

Meant to say. You asked specifically if the salt would dry out the ribs

you could bury them in salt overnight and the answer would still be no.

Sugar draws more water from meat than salt does. And no one worries about that.

Peeps be needin to cogitate. Ruminate. Edumacate

njl · March 2015

Night before if you have the time...I've literally applied rub and put them straight on the egg when in a hurry, and it makes little difference.

SkinnyV · March 2015

All my cooking prep is always prior , I'm lazy and like to open the meat from the pack and speed through it.

mgd_egg · March 2015

I try to rub them the night before if possible. Psychologically I think it helps but doubt I would notice a difference side by side.

gerhardk · March 2015

I use to do the night before and then we where out on Saturday night and had planned ribs for Sunday, when we got home it was too late for me to bother. Couldn't tell the difference so ever since I have been doing the prep after I light the charcoal.

Gerhard

Ozzie_Isaac · March 2015

If you can plan enough to do them the night before you are better than me.

I usually wander by the meat and think hmmm, ribs sound good today.

Tinyfish · March 2015

There you go survey says......ribs are great anyway you do them as long as you do them.

pgprescott · March 2015

I agree with tinyfish. I rub them ahead when I actually plan, but if not I rub them while egg is stabilizing. Good luck and enjoy.

Mickey · March 2015

st¡ke said:

I screwed up and missed the window, so they sat in the fridge a week. And i have decided to do ribs and then bought and threw them on the grill within an hour. No difference.

Except the longer you go the more of a crust you can develop. But it's marginal

I would want the post: Should I eat ribs or pork that has set in fridge for a week? Just seems much more important. I would not.

Mayberry · March 2015

Thanks for all the reponses. I'll just continue being spontaneous and unprepared and rub just before throwing on the grill.

Since I already have a thread going, I've also mostly always pulled the. Silver skin because that's what I was told I "was supposed to do". However, when eating out at various bbq restaurants, I always find that I like the pull and crispiness if it is left on the ribs.

Little Steven · March 2015

st¡ke said:

I screwed up and missed the window, so they sat in the fridge a week. And i have decided to do ribs and then bought and threw them on the grill within an hour. No difference.

Except the longer you go the more of a crust you can develop. But it's marginal

I once ate pork that was more than a week old. It spent it's last night in an airport luggage storage. And me and another guy ate it tartare

pgprescott · March 2015

The membrane is indigestible. It also inhibits penetration of the cub and smoke. Pull it.

abpgwolf · March 2015

From what I've read and heard, the only ingredient that will significantly be absorbed into the meat is salt. If I am making my own rub, I will omit the salt. Then apply salt the night before and the remainder of the rub before smoking grilling.

Amazingribs.com has a lot of good information regarding this.

pgprescott · March 2015

I'm no scientist, but doesn't the salt and other spices somewhat get transferred into the meat via osmosis? The salt is the instigator, but I would think as liquid is drawn out and then back into the meat it would pick up some of the spice flavors?

jtcBoynton · March 2015

The issue is that most of the ingredients are not water soluble. Salt and sugar are, but that's normally it.

pgprescott · March 2015

jtcBoynton said:

The issue is that most of the ingredients are not water soluble. Salt and sugar are, but that's normally it.

Ahh I see.

Ribs: rub the night before or just prior to smoking?

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