Ribs taste like ham.

Woody

The wife went to W-mart and got a good buy on some pork ribs. She wanted me to fixs some ribs it had been a while. I put my rub on them and wrapped them last night and cooked them today. They had a ham taste to them. I would like to know how to get that taste out of them. I always buy my ribs at the butchers and do not have that problem but since summer has came around the price has went way up. Wife got them for half the price at W-mart.

Jeffersonian

You left them too long with a salt-based rub on them and they cured. Try leaving the rub on for just an hour or two next time.

Hoss

Ham? Never eggsperienced that. :unsure: :ermm: :huh:

Hoss

Makes sense.I never put rub on mine til they're almost ready to go to the smoker.

stike

they were likely "enhanced", or soaked in a solution of mostly water, salt (sodium chloride), sodium phosphate, sodium lactate, potassium lactate, sodium diacetate, and "natural" or artificial flavor agents (had to google that for the more arcane stuff)

see.

most americans think that eating healthy means low fat. the demand for low fat for the past 20 years has forced the pork industry to raise pork with less fat. less fat, less flavor, less moisture.

couple that with grandma (and your mother in laws) tendency to WAY overcook pork, and the pork suppliers decided they had to come up with a way to provide moist pork that was low fat and capable of being served at 180.

they jack it full of the liquid, which is as close to a ham-type brine as you can get without nitrites, and lo-and-behold. hammy pork.

go back to your butcher.

you are feeding your family. you might be saving three dollars buying the brined cr^p, but i'll bet you'll agree your family is worth the extra expense.

stike

need more than salt though to really get that ham texture.

Hoss

Now that really makes sense.I have a close friend in the USDA that oversees pork.The NEW USDA guidelines state that pork is safe at 145 degrees F.I suppose all the additives "cook" it before it's even cooked! BTW there has'nt been a case of Trichonosis traced to under cooked pork in the US in over 20 years.

stike

they say it is safe at 145 because they can't say it is safe at 138 for trich, and 140 for any fecal bacteria.

plus, they allow for your oven and thermometer being "off".

i cook mine to maybe 135 and let it coast

Misippi Egger

I think the "You get what you paid for" phrase applies here.

My wife once, repeat, once, bought a ribeye at WalMart. It was a peculiar red color and when cooked had a mushy consistency. The very next day she was talking about it at work. One of her patients overheard the conversation and told her he was a truck driver for Walmart and to never buy their meat.

Anyway, that was the last non-Brand labeled meat product we have ever bought at Wally World. Sam's is different. Their meats - beef, lamb, pork - has always be top notch.

Just my 2 cents.....

Stike is right about the injections. All of the pork products at our Krogers has a "Moist and Tender" label (butts, ribs, loins). The fine print has the same stuff Stike listed about - from 2% to 12%. No more Kroger pork for me.

Jeffersonian

Yeah, I forgot about that "enhancing" crap.

Hoss

I pull that type cut at 140 then rest.Not ribs or PP but loin,steaks,tenderloin,you know the drill.

Woody

The wife has agreed that the taste is well worth the cost. No more cheap Ribs for use.

LFGEnergy

Woody,

HUGE thank you for your post - and thanks for all that shared the answers to this issue!!!! I finally get it! I have felt that I was unhappy with rib taste (too much like ham) for years, but guess what, my MO is (WAS) to rub ribs and throw in fridge overnight wrapped in plastic (sound familiar)! In reflection, my best ribs to date have been the last minute efforts, i.e., less than an hour sitting with rub on them and then get em hot (which amazed me - I always figured I just got lucky on these)! And to make matters worse, after a "bad" rib experience, the next weekend I would rub and let them sit even longer!!!!

I doubt it is a good rib/bad rib thing, I have been making "ham ribs" on and off for 20 years and you finally helped me figure out why! Costco is my choice for meat, but I digress.....

Let me expand on above with another example from last few weeks. I have a Korean pork recipe (OK, really a Korean beef short rib recipe from YouTube, but AWESOME with pork ribs)that two weeks ago I got up on a Sat. AM (late) and made and then let ribs soak in for about 4 hours before putting on BGE. SERIOUSLY - BEST RIBS I HAVE EVER MADE - and I am DAMN picky about my cooking!!!! My "vegetarian" 15 year old sneaked back for seconds, which has never happened. Next weekend, EXACT same recipe, BETTER quality ribs, but with my "if a little bit is good a lot must be better" mentality, I made the ribs the night before (FYI - recipe has 1 cup soy sauce) and let them soak for about 20 hours before firing the BGE. Frankly, they sucked!!!! Ribs were drier than past, and salt level was not bearable. again, same/same with recipe, except that the "ham" taste overwhelmed the previous oriental flavor.

So, the bottom line is our over marination and over rubbing cure time IS in fact curing the pork (as others above me correctly shared with us)....which I would have NEVER figured out!

Since you and the other EggHeads gave me so much with your posts, allow me to share with you my Korean BBQ recipe (my BIG secret....). Super easy, and super good!:

1/2 cup soy sauce (edited from earlier post)
1/2 cup sake (edited from earlier post)
5 cloves garlic, grated
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 pears, really ripe (grate and be sure and capture all the juices)(they say use Korean pear, but Anju (sp) works well)
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated (I like a little more, maybe 1.5 inches)
3 or 4 green onions, chopped fine
2 tbsp sesame seeds (I have not used these, but the bang that sesame adds, I recommend)

Mix all, and let ribs marinate a FEW hours (suggest not more than 4 hours from past experience). I put the ribs (cut in half) in ziplock). Be sure and remove membrane before marinating. Then I smoke (I like oak) at 300F over indirect heat for 3 hours. If you really want the oriental flare, finish last 30 minutes by brushing with Hosien sauce. I also hit with mist of apple juice at 2 hours, but not sure necessary.

Enjoy!

Anyway, thanks again for helping me solve a long problem - I am like a kid that figured out Superman's source of power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kind regards,

Dave in Keller, TX
AKA LFGEnergy

Little Chef

Woody...Probably has a lot to do with the kind of wood you selected, too. Did you use hickory, or mesquite? I find they lend a 'hammy' familiar flavor. Next time try some Apple Wood, Cherry, Oak....just a different wood. The different flavors from different woods still amazes me. Just a thought.