When to Apply Your Rub?

jbenny · January 2013

So I ask this question because I've been doing a little (ok a lot) of reading on Salt and how it effects meat. Long story short, initially draws the moisture out but if you let it sit long enough puts all the moisture and flavor into the meat.

My question is, if you're doing a brisket, ribs, butt, steak, etc. and you adhere to this principle. When would you put your rub/seasoning on your meat?

Example: Curing bacon for a smoke on Saturday. Put the cure on Thursday night, took until about Sunday for the meat to soak the moisture back up.

Eggcelsior · January 2013

Roasts are a different matter. For a pork butt, you can do 24+ hours, overnight, 1 hour, or right before smoking. The longer the rub is on, the longer the salt has to be drawn into the meat and it starts to "cure" the surface where it contacts. I find that the longer it is on, the better the flavor. To each there own, as this is always a personal preference.

For smaller types of meat, like ribs, I have found that many will season right before cooking, as the longer it sits, the saltier it gets. Again, this can depend on the type of rub and how much one uses.

For steaks, check out this link that @FanOfFanboys posted in another thread. The dude that wrote is great; he used to work with America's Test Kitchen and is a great resource for steaks and burgers, as well as many things meat.

Skiddymarker · January 2013

Over the past year the reverse sear has become our cook of choice for steaks. Slow cooked at 225 until internal is about 5-10 below target, rest while egg heats to "volcano" status, then sear, maybe <1 minute each side. SWMBO claims the rub/seasoning taste is stronger using reverse sear.

I start the egg, setter in and DFMT set to 1/2 open, lower to about 1" and in about 1 hour the temp is stable at 250, clear smoke. During the time the egg is coming to stable heat the rub is applied more due to convenience than design, allowing it to sit for about an hour.

I think the slow cook allows the meat to react with the rub and the salt adding flavor.

jbenny · January 2013

I prefer reverse sear as well. I'm interested to see if anyone has noticed significant results by putting the rub on days in advanced, letting the salt in the rub do its magic, then smoking the meat.

FanOfFanboys · January 2013

jbenny said:

I prefer reverse sear as well. I'm interested to see if anyone has noticed significant results by putting the rub on days in advanced, letting the salt in the rub do its magic, then smoking the meat.

I have never done days in advance, but I've done 6-8 hours. In my mind made a difference but could be in my mind. Without side by side taste test no way to really know

jlsm · January 2013

I use a "dry" brine with turkey breasts, and it makes a great deal of difference. I use 1 T of kosher salt per 4 pounds of bird and let it sit in the fridge for 48 hours.

When to Apply Your Rub?

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