Rubbing it the night before....

Manvsmolar · December 2016

The meat sickos

I've got a couple of butts in fridge and I want to rub them tonight with mustard and rub so I can throw them on in the morning. Bad idea?

Skrullb · December 2016

I've had good results doing that. I find I get a better smoke ring that way. Maybe it's coincidence, but cold meat going on the smoker seems to take smoke better.

bucky925 · December 2016

Geeze I clicked on this for that? Yes sicko here

bhedges1987 · December 2016

I do it. The rub sticks better if it has a while to soak in.

ryantt · December 2016

Occasionally I will rub them down the night before, and then again while my egg or other pit comes up to temp.

leemschu · December 2016

I always do the night before and maybe add a little right before.

SloppyJoe · December 2016

She rubs it the night before and rubs it again right before...

ThrillSeeker · December 2016

I do. I'd like to think that the vinegar in the mustard helps break down the fat.

Mainly I do it because it helps the rub stick.

nolaegghead · December 2016

It is a good idea. Just don't let the wife catch you doing it or you'll have a lot of explaining to do.

JustineCaseyFeldown · December 2016

it's fine. you'll hear warning of it tasting 'hammy' because it can cure, but it doesn't have enough salt to cure (for one thing).

like a lot of this stuff, some folks swear by it, some against it.

hoosier_egger · December 2016

I always inject and rub the night before

Manvsmolar · December 2016

Thanks for the advice eggheads. I will rub 2 out in a few hours and let you know tomorrow how it went.

Botch · December 2016

You have two butts. Rub one the night before, the other next morning, and compare and report back.

Manvsmolar · December 2016

Botch that just makes too much sense but unfortunately this run I don't have much time before work to rub the other butt. It will be a miracle to get the fire going and get the meat on and get myself and the kiddos ready before school.

lousubcap · December 2016

@Manvsmolar - someone with staying power in the AM...most eggcellent.

Edit: welcome aboard and enjoy the journey. Above all, have fun.

Hans61 · December 2016

I've never been able to taste a difference between rubbing right before egging or rubbing the night before.

think your answer is it's fine either way

Carolina Q · December 2016

Hans61 said:

I've never been able to taste a difference between rubbing right before egging or rubbing the night before.

think your answer is it's fine either way

This. And don't waste the mustard. Completely unnecessary, not to mention messy. Save it for a hot dog.

nolaegghead · December 2016

Carolina Q said:

Hans61 said:

I've never been able to taste a difference between rubbing right before egging or rubbing the night before.

think your answer is it's fine either way

This. And don't waste the mustard. Completely unnecessary, not to mention messy. Save it for a hot dog.

Depends on how much rub you want to stick. Not much different than breading fish or chicken.

Judy Mayberry · December 2016

I use mayonnaise to hold the rub on with ribs, with terrific results, and think I'll try it next time I make a butt.

Manvsmolar · December 2016

I used the mustard before. I liked it.

SmokingPiney · December 2016

I rub while the pit is warming up. Overnight rubs drain a lot of liquid from the meat that I would like to have in it while it cooks.

Philly35 · December 2016

Manvsmolar said:

The meat sickos I've got a couple of butts in fridge and I want to rub them tonight with mustard and rub so I can throw them on in the morning. Bad idea?

I would rub one out before you go to bed. You'll sleep a whole lot better. Then rub out another one in the morning and see what you think works better. I wouldn't recommend rubbing two out in one evening, bad idea. Makes for too long of a night. That's just my opinion though. Whatever you decide to do, have fun playing with your meat.

txhawkeye · December 2016

Be careful with the mustard it tends to stain your skin when heated by friction

smokeyw · December 2016

JustineCaseyFeldown said:

it's fine. you'll hear warning of it tasting 'hammy' because it can cure, but it doesn't have enough salt to cure (for one thing).

like a lot of this stuff, some folks swear by it, some against it.

You are right, it doesn't have enough salt to cure. However, the salt content varies in different rubs. If it has a really high ratio of salt, and you let it stay on the meat too long prior to cooking, it can impart the "hammy taste" people refer to.

JustineCaseyFeldown · December 2016

It's not going to make it hammy even with a lot of salt. Not to any great depth

our familiarity with ham comes almost entirely from nitrite-cured pork, and salt cured pork doesn't cure quickly enough to really achieve a comparable change without nitrite. There's a reason it is called 'quick' cure.

What really works quickly to change the meat, and actually cure it to some degree, is the smoke ring. It is firm and pink for the exact same reason that ham is. Nitrite. That smoke ring is actually cured meat in a way

And no one ever says complains about the smoke ring creating a hammy flavor.

Nitrite and nitrates actually change the meat. Adding a piquant flavor and giving meat that drier, more brittle almost, structure. Color too.

Still, no matter the rub, even if it contained nitrite, the effect wouldn't go beyond just about smoke ring depth anyway. you'd need a high concentration even to achieve that

it's one of those broscience things that sounds plausible, and is based in fact... but in all practicality it would be damn near impossible to truly perceive, especially if you had a smoke ring

SaintJohnsEgger · December 2016

I rub the night before and then again the next morning before it goes on the egg.

smokeyw · December 2016

JustineCaseyFeldown said:

It's not going to make it hammy even with a lot of salt. Not to any great depth

our familiarity with ham comes almost entirely from nitrite-cured pork, and salt cured pork doesn't cure quickly enough to really achieve a comparable change without nitrite. There's a reason it is called 'quick' cure.

What really works quickly to change the meat, and actually cure it to some degree, is the smoke ring. It is firm and pink for the exact same reason that ham is. Nitrite. That smoke ring is actually cured meat in a way

And no one ever says complains about the smoke ring creating a hammy flavor.

Nitrite and nitrates actually change the meat. Adding a piquant flavor and giving meat that drier, more brittle almost, structure. Color too.

Still, no matter the rub, even if it contained nitrite, the effect wouldn't go beyond just about smoke ring depth anyway. you'd need a high concentration even to achieve that

it's one of those broscience things that sounds plausible, and is based in fact... but in all practicality it would be damn near impossible to truly perceive, especially if you had a smoke ring

I respectfully disagree. If you put the wrong rub on it the night before, you can certainly tell it in the taste. At least this has been my experience. Other peoples experiences may vary.

JustineCaseyFeldown · December 2016

"Wrong rub"

taste "it"

not sure what those specify. So I can't agree/disagree

I just know it is impossible to make ham overnight with salt to any great depth or degree

and it may just be the smoke ring rhat tastes hammy, because it is more likely to effect a cure than salt is

salt makes salt pork. Unless you pile it on for a greatly extended period and then condense it by drying (country ham or prosciutto, e.g.).

If anyone can taste the effects of curing from salt alone, not the other ingredients in a rub, isolated to the outer fraction of an inch, occurring only overnight, and separate from the effects of the nitrite in smoke, then i tip my cap.

Not adversarial here. Just practical. I don't ascribe much value to my opinion to begin with. don't think anyone else should.

Just to be clear, I am not arguing with what you believe.

Manvsmolar · December 2016

So I promised pictures but I failed to due to a camera malfunction. Stupid iPhone. But I "think" I liked it better rubbing it the night before. Yes there was maybe 2 table spoons of liquid in the pan i left them in the night before but they weren't dry at all. I smoked them with apple wood at ~225 for almost 12 hours and they were amazing. Only problem was fuel management. Ran out right near the end so i had to wrap the butts, throw in some more rock wood and get it going again. My biggest learning curve is definitely been fuel management. I think Ive learned that whatever i think is enough add 25% or I should just fill it to the top of the firebox

Any hoo it was a big hit and I got to use my work secret santa gift of bbq claws!

Carolina Q · December 2016

Glad it worked for you. There is no reason not to fill up with lump. When the cook is finished, you close the vents to stuff the fire and whatever didn't get burned will still be there for the next cook. It's not like you would be wasting lump if you filled it.

If you do run out near the end, just throw it in the oven to finish. No foil needed.

And I still say mustard is unnecessary. Rub sticks just fine without it.

Rubbing it the night before....

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