Making rub stick


 
F

Frank M

TVWBB Member
Maybe it's me, but I sometimes have trouble making dry rubs stick. Last weekend I did a couple of pork butts (see "ET-73 failed" thread for more on that) and I noticed, again, that the more powdery ingredients (paprika) tend to stick easily where as the courser incredients (turbonado sugar, ground pepper) tend not to as much. I usually have a pile of sugar and pepper on my cutting board when I'm done applying the rub.

Does anyone have any tricks for making rub stick better?

Also, I have a small spice grinder, and I've thought of putting the whole mixture in it a grinding it up into a finer consistency to help get the coarser ingredients to stick better. But I'm afraid that would ruin the texture of the resultant bark. Anyone ever tried anything like this?
 
Frank--
As Charles points out, mustard works. I use a little oil usually, or nothing. I do use your suggestion frequently, grinding some of my ingredients more finely. I use Kosher salt (which easily separates out of a rub blend because of its size) and do not mix it in with the rub ingredients, nor do I grind it. I apply the salt first so that I can see that I'm applying it evenly then I apply the rub. If there are other rub ingredients I'm using that I don't want to grind or that don't grind well--like sumac--I apply them after the salt, before the rub mix.
 
Sheesh, I forgot to mention that I actually used the mustard method for the first time with these butts. What happened to me is my hands got coated with mustard, and then when I applied the rub, as much stuck to my hands as did to the butts. Seemed I actually got less rub to stick with the mustard than I did without.

Maybe my application technique is wrong. How do you guys do it? Do you actually rub or pat it on, or do you put it in a shaker and sprinkle it on? And how do you get all sides coated without handling the butt and getting your hands covered in mustard?
 
We have started using left over spice bottles (bigger than fist size up to the bulk, bigger than quart size) to sprinkle rub on. This seems to work a lot better than sprinkling out of the container and generally achieves a more even distribution of rub. I also run the rub mix through the wife's sifter a couple of times to break up ingredients that stick together and generally mix the rub.
 
Hey Frank, I use a large hole shaker like you might find in a pizza place for red pepper for my rub and wear latex gloves. Usually I'll turn the meat and have someone else shake on the rub.
 
Something I picked up on another forum is to pour Worcestershire sauce on the meat, rubbing that in. Then put the rub on. Smear it around till it turns into a paste. Sure worked for me last weekend on a whole brisket, pork butt and some ribs.
 
Good idea George. I pretty much use my hands for everything in a kitchen though a container/sprinkler works well like Vernon and Jack have said. I sprinkle on with my fingers then pat with my hands.
 
I use this for a rub container:

3092_lg.jpg


It works awesome, just shake shake shake.
 
Frank,

Regarding applying mustard, I usually squirt it on from the container and use a pastry brush to paint it onto the meat. Then I usually just flip it over, rinse my gloved hands, and repeat the process. I usually just sprinkle on the rub and rarely rub it into the meat. Shake it on until there is a nice even coating.

Pretty clean really.
 
I do almost exactly what Bruce does with the exception of first painting on some Worcestershire sauce before the mustard.

Al
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Frank M:
Also, I have a small spice grinder, and I've thought of putting the whole mixture in it a grinding it up into a finer consistency to help get the coarser ingredients to stick better. But I'm afraid that would ruin the texture of the resultant bark. Anyone ever tried anything like this? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hiya Frank
I almost always have dry thyme, bay leaf, and oregano in my rubs, and general purpose "cajun" seasoning. I add the dry spices and anything coarse along with a tablespoon of coarse salt to a mortar and pestle, then work it to the finest possible powder. This also gets the lumps out of the garlic powder. The distribution of flavour is great, and you can actually taste the bay leaf (I always wondered why you add one bay leaf to 20 litres of water when making stock, can you even taste it ?). I don't find it helps to make it stick, use oil, mustard, worcester sauce, or make a paste.

Oh yeah, no bark texture problems.

morgan
 
I normally just recycle the spice containers with the big holes from Sam's or Costco as shakers. I wear food service gloves. I find several approaches work. I always have the meat in a shallow hotel pan. That way you can catch the rub and roll the meat in the rub. I use meat still wet from Cryovac or apply mustard then sprinkle on rub or I mix mustard and rub and paint it on.

Oil is a barrier to smoke so I'm not a fan of coating meat with oil when smoking.

HTH,
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Konrad Haskins:
Oil is a barrier to smoke so I'm not a fan of coating meat with oil when smoking.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I've never noticed that. which means ... another experiment, and another reason the BBQ! Thanks Konrad.
 
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