Rib question


 
J

Joe - theqguy

TVWBB Member
What is everyone's opinion on rubbing ribs ,say, 24 hours or so before cooking? I'm gonna do a couple racks of baby backs tomorrow after work and thought about prepping and rubbing them tonight and letting them sit til tomorrow evening. I didn't know if there was any advantage.
 
I never done 24 hours.
But what I do is rub them when I'm getting my smoker ready. So about 1 hour before.
I just to do 6-12 hours before but I would get a ham taste to my ribs maybe it was the rub I was using but now it's best when I do it 1 hour before.
 
Thank you for the reply. One reason I'm gonna cook tomorrow is I have some rubs and sauces that I want to compare. I think I'll do as you suggested and rub them an hour or so in advance.
 
Most recipes I've seen call for 1 or 2 hours. I'm like Tony, rub while the cooker is getting ready.

Meathead says, "Overnight dry rub marinating is optional." for his Last Meal Ribs Recipe.
 
Last edited:
Tony R said:
I never done 24 hours.
But what I do is rub them when I'm getting my smoker ready. So about 1 hour before.
I just to do 6-12 hours before but I would get a ham taste to my ribs maybe it was the rub I was using but now it's best when I do it 1 hour before.
Click to expand...

tony is wise man. i follow his instructions to a T.
 
I have done overnight and don't remember any bad consequences, but we rub 1 hour before cooking in comps and do pretty good. I think the "hammy" taste from rubbing way in advance may depend on the rub you are using.
 
Hi neighbor. I'm new to cooking ribs. But, what I have done is brine them overnight and rub right before cooking. My family seems to like them.
 
I've heard that if you apply a rub containing a fair amount of salt too far ahead, you risk the pork tasting hammy. Don't know if it's true or not.
 
Salt in the rub will start pulling the juice out of the meat. I rub my ribs, build my fire, put the ribs on the smoker, pop the top on a cold beer, and dream about what's fixin to happen. I go to my happy place!
 
You don't need to rub ribs prior to cooking. They will bark and flavor fine with the 30 mins of set up per the above. Bigger cuts like butts and brisket do well with an overnight rub. Re-rub them prior to cooking and you'll get a nice crusty, bark.
 
The rub is Not going to penetrate the meat more then just below the surface so rubbing hours ahead of time really offers no benefit. Salt does draw moisture to the surface of the meat which will then disolve the salt. Through osmosis the salty water will then be carried back into the meat. The problem is that unlike the salt, most spices are Not water soluable and so will not break down and penetrate the meat. May as well wait and apply the rub when preparing the pit.
 
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