"Hammy" ribs


 
J

Jerry Pollard

TVWBB Super Fan
Labor Day I cooked three slabs spares, cut to St. Louis style. Was planning on a 3-1-1 cook. After 3 i foiled, hour later unwrapped and they were big time fall-off-the bone, so had to take them off. Left them foiled for about an hour. Also, ham tasting. Wife decided she would salt them before i cooked.
Used Texas BBQ rub. WSM ran 250 throughout the cook (lid temp) would the salt cause "ham" taste?
 
There could be several reasons. As was explained to me a while back..

1. You might have gotten enhanced ribs. Check package label.
2. The extra salt your wife put on the ribs combined with your rub could give a hammy taste.
3. To much hickory smoke, or smoke in general.
4. Pork grease dripping on burning charcoal (long shot choice)
5. If you brined the ribs, you left them brined to long.
6. Left them in the rub too long.

There are probably more choices that I haven't listed.
 
My guess is they were enhanced. They put that little tid bit info in real small print, and hide it well. By chance did you buy them at Wal Mart?
 
Your wife salted them before you cooked? This could also be the problem. I have cooked enhanced ribs and butts before, but they never cam out hammy. I have seen enhanced and "regular" at Wally. It will say on the package if they are.
 
I did not buy them at WM, but they were Smithfield.
I know the Smithfield at WM are enhanced.
IMO wife salting them may be the reason.
I would not tell her, but I'll tell her next time: "don't put anymore salt". I did leave them in the rub for about 8-10 hours.
 
Jerry - I used to put my homemade rib rub on the night before, and would get the same results. My rub is a little heavy on the Kosher Salt...so thru the suggestions on this board, I only apply rub now no more than an hour before hitting the fire.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Furdyn:
Bryan or anyone

Are the butts as well as ribs at walmart enhanced ? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
At the York PA Wal Mart I shop at, every piece of pork they sell is enhanced.
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That's why I only buy the Full Packers there, and all pork is purchased at BJ's. BJ's has better prices on pork anyway, and it's only 1.5 miles from my house.
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HTH
 
8 - 10 hours in the rub for ribs is way too long. At home I put rub on right before they go on the smoker.
 
Thanks for the info. Sure was disappointed in my rib cook, and my Roadside chicken too, Which drowned the coals with basting.. "I'll get it down pat" one of these days.
Can't get around very good these days with the
back problem.
 
Yup...too long for the rub to be on. A good rub to put on overnight is Billy Bones competition rub...it is designed to leave on ribs overnight. Chalk it up as experience. Your next batch will come out excellent im sure.
 
Hi level response - hammy taste comes from salt somewhere. Either in the rub, too much salt as an ingredient or too much time with salt overnight. Or pumped or enhanced, read "soaked in a saltwater solution too long or with too much salt"

If you buy a pumped product, it's already salted. If you add a rub with salt, you've added more.

In my view salt or salt solution plus too much time equals "ham" flavor in whatever cut of pork you are cooking.

And - sometimes I actually like it. But typically not unless its HAM or BACON.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by r benash:
Hi level response - hammy taste comes from salt somewhere. Either in the rub, too much salt as an ingredient or too much time with salt overnight. Or pumped or enhanced, read "soaked in a saltwater solution too long or with too much salt"

If you buy a pumped product, it's already salted. If you add a rub with salt, you've added more.

In my view salt or salt solution plus too much time equals "ham" flavor in whatever cut of pork you are cooking.

And - sometimes I actually like it. But typically not unless its HAM or BACON. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well said, Ray.
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