i think i give up on bbq anything pork


 
B

brady martin

Banned
whether its pork butt or ribs they always come out tasting too "hammy". ill just grill at home and if i want ribs or anything slow cooked ill head to the local bbq joint.

anyone else have this problem
 
No. And local Q joints by and large suck.

What are you doing to get hammy -- rubbing early? --using too much sugar?
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It could be you're using enhanced meat. Check the labels of your ribs and butts to make sure they are not injected with any solutions.

Most chain stores, at least in my area, all carry enhanced butts and ribs. That's why I purchase mine from Sams Club.
 
Brady, blasphemy. How dare you give up. Use natural not injected or salted meat.Use just a little rub if you are buying it and not making it. Most are loaded with salt. Go light with the wood and you should be ok. That is the shorthand version.
 
For me, applying lots of rub, especially a 'sweet' rub, and letting it 'marinate' for a long time produces a "hammy" taste.

Now I don't rub pork more than 2 hours before going onto cook and it comes out fine.


I'd recommend you do another butt with no rub at all and just a few wood chunks and see how that does.
 
How much & What type of wood are you using? Oh and by the way; The "Q" you make should eventually be the best you've ever had. Don't give up.
 
looks like im rubbing the meat for way too long and cooking time is too long. sometimes i rub overnight, but definitely for at the very least 4 hours in advance. i buy all meat at costco, not injected.

i dont use any wood, just briquettes. spare ribs usually take at least 6 to 7 hours using the toothpick method. i want them falling off the bones. since i like bbq sauce i dont care if they come out dry.

i use the performer.
 
Originally posted by brady martin:
looks like im rubbing the meat for way too long and cooking time is too long. sometimes i rub overnight, but definitely for at the very least 4 hours in advance. i buy all meat at costco, not injected.

i dont use any wood, just briquettes. spare ribs usually take at least 6 to 7 hours using the toothpick method. i want them falling off the bones. since i like bbq sauce i dont care if they come out dry.

i use the performer.
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Try pulling the rack out of the fridge, dusting it, and throwing it on the smoker and see what you think. Be sure you're foiling at 160ish with an extra splash of apple juice to accelerate the cook and give you the tenderness you want too.

I can't endorse the lack of smoke, dry ribs, or falling off the bone though
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Never had a hammy pork yet, unless I intended to make ham. For fall-off-the-bone ribs, you can achieve that in 4.5-5 hours if you foil them. They won't need to cook nearly as long, so you can avoid the dryness, which means they cooked too long.
 
Someone recently told me that the meat from a male pig has more of the "hammy" flavor than a female pig. I spoke to a butcher about this and he agreed, back ribs from a female pig are much more desireable than from a male pig. He told me that if you've ever picked up a rack of ribs and they looked smaller than normal, they are more than likely from a female. He showed me a rack of ribs that was from a female, and sure enough, smaller than normal. The funny thing is that I've actually noticed this once or twice before when shopping around. For example, the racks of ribs at Trader Joe's are much smaller than what I would normally see at a large grocery store chain. I'm only assuming the ones I've seen there are from a female.

Did a little research and stumbled across this article:
http://www.practicallyedible.c...s/pork#ixzz0obUonbmD
"Pork from male pigs can have a "piggy", "gamey" or "boar" taste and scent that pork from female pigs doesn't have"

Just something else to consider. I'm not sure how much truth there is to this, but I suspect there's something to be said for it. Has anyone else ever heard of this?
 
The odor or flavor in question is called 'boar taint'. It is not hammy in the slightest. Offensive, yes, not hammy. Castration of males as piglets avoids the issue pretty well, as does slaughter at an earlier age. Most males are castrated in the US, save for the few needed for breeding.

Fat-to-lean ratios differ between intact males and those that have been castrated.
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
The odor or flavor in question is called 'boar taint'.
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LOL!

The first ribs I ever tried to cook for my in-laws was a huge rack I found on sale.
My father in-law, a meat inspector and good Q'er, took one bite, put it down, and said "boar".

I've never bought a large rack since.
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Originally posted by P.Schaff:
Someone recently told me that the meat from a male pig has more of the "hammy" flavor than a female pig. I spoke to a butcher about this and he agreed, back ribs from a female pig are much more desireable than from a male pig. He told me that if you've ever picked up a rack of ribs and they looked smaller than normal, they are more than likely from a female. He showed me a rack of ribs that was from a female, and sure enough, smaller than normal. The funny thing is that I've actually noticed this once or twice before when shopping around. For example, the racks of ribs at Trader Joe's are much smaller than what I would normally see at a large grocery store chain. I'm only assuming the ones I've seen there are from a female.

Did a little research and stumbled across this article:
http://www.practicallyedible.c...s/pork#ixzz0obUonbmD
"Pork from male pigs can have a "piggy", "gamey" or "boar" taste and scent that pork from female pigs doesn't have"

Just something else to consider. I'm not sure how much truth there is to this, but I suspect there's something to be said for it. Has anyone else ever heard of this?
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Just skimmed thru the site. Tons of information, thanks for the sharing.
 
hey brady

i buy all my stuff at costco too and i've never had that problem. now, i have a wsm and have no idea how to do anything on a performer...
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Next time try just salt and pepper and see if that doesn't cure the "hammy" taste. If it does then you know its the rubs you have been using and can start over til you find something you like. Since you like saucing anyway you may decide to do away with the rub all together.
 
Originally posted by brady martin:
looks like im rubbing the meat for way too long and cooking time is too long. sometimes i rub overnight, but definitely for at the very least 4 hours in advance. i buy all meat at costco, not injected.

i dont use any wood, just briquettes. spare ribs usually take at least 6 to 7 hours using the toothpick method. i want them falling off the bones. since i like bbq sauce i dont care if they come out dry.

i use the performer.
Click to expand...

I use both the performer and the wsm for ribs and both turn out great. I have had ribs come out hammy before and it is due to rubbing the night before. If you think about it you are kind of curing the meat somewhat by having it sit in the rub overnight. Now I rub the ribs, light the chimney, and put them on. I would say 30 minutes tops from rubbing to start cooking. Try the 3-2-1 method (for spares) if you want them falling off the bone. Why not get some wood chunks or chips and throw them on the coals when you put on the meat. Don't give up! Good Q is worth fighting for!
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Hang in there to get them the way you want them. However if it is a hassle then buy your favorite queue and enjoy. But once you get it you'll love having them "your way."

I cut back on the amount of rub because it seemed to be overpowering the ribs. Also one post about seasoning with the intent of eating half or all of a rack was different than competition Q where the judges eat one rib. So less is more to me when it comes to rub. I also think most rubs don't have enough garlic and too much cumin and too much sugar (hammy).

Good luck!
 
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