Reseasoning ribs that have been foiled


 
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Pete D.

TVWBB Member
Hi everyone-

Whenever I cook ribs, I use a 4:1:1 method of cooking and foiling. I use the BRITU spice rub mix, but with less salt. My ribs have seemed a little bland, so I've cut down the salt allowing me to add more rub. Still bland. I'm wondering if anyone who foils their ribs midway through the cooking process adds more rub, either in the middle of the cooking or at the end. It seems that putting more rub on in the beginning stages doesn't help too much.

Thanks!
 
Well, IMO if you are using the same rub, and cutting back the salt you need to do 2 things. First up the salt, because it brings out flavor in meat, and everything really. Second make/find/use a better rub. You do not have to follow a recipe. Find something that peaks your interrest and build upon it. Add what you like/want and take away what you don't like, and make/call it your own.
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The problem, imo, is the rub. BRITU rub doesn't have a lot going for it flavor-wise. It could be better if the proportions were better, i.e., cutting the sugar in half and upping the onion and garlic substantially. Subbing a hotter more flavorful chile fir the generic 'chili powder' and flavorless cayenne is a thought, as is adding a 'sweet' spice (like a little allspice) and perhaps an herb (sage comes to mind).
 
I've noticed foiling can tend to wash out the flavors of bbq. I tried a foil/no foil experiment and the longer foiled ribs had almost a boiled taste to them.

When I foil butts and brisket I take care to save the juice because it seems to have a lot of concentrated flavors from the meat,smoke and rub. I'm not really sure what you can do with the juice from ribs though. maybe mix with a touch of a sauce and paint back on at the end.

Which ribs do you smoke? baby backs aren't that flavorful to begin with. I assume a 4,1,1 means your doing spares though.

salt is the really the key. when I make a rub blend I make it without salt, and to test it I sprinkle a little into a mortar and pestle and grind it with some salt. It's amazing how different it will taste with some salt. I figure if I can get three things right with any cook I did well: tenderness, smoke flavor, and salty-ness (peppery-ness is a close fourth).
 
I don't put salt in rubs I make. I salt the meat first then wait several minutes for the salt to draw moisture. The rub gets applied over the salt. This way I can apply as much or as little rub as I want without affecting the salt level.

BRITU has a lot of salt in it. Cutting the salt in the mix would be necessary simply to be able to apply a decent amount of rub. I don't think salt is the issue here at all since Pete only cut it back, necessary to apply it in any relevant quantity; he didn't eliminate it. I think the lack of flavor of the rub itself is the problem.

Foiling can mute flavors. If the foiling is brief and the flavors are there to begin with, the effect is lessened, especially if high quality, fresh spices and herbs were used. Still, if one is foiling, adding a sprinkle of rub after the ribs come out of the foil can restore a lot. And, if you've salted the meat first, separately, you can again add as little or as much rub as you'd like without worrying about the salt level.
 
What Bryan S said. I made about $600.00 worth of ribs trying them out on everyone including myself and asking what they thought before I felt I had it the way I liked it.
 
I wish I would have known about foiling dampening flavors a few years ago. I had to learn the hard way. But I usually sprinkle a bit of rub back on, on top of a very thin veneer of sauce or glaze.
 
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