Ribs - do you rub with yellow mustard?


 
G

G Dechaine

TVWBB Pro
I know some people rub down their butts with yellow mustard before applying the dry rub. I've done it each time. Not sure if it adds much, but I'm a mustard-head, so can't see myself skipping the step.

My question is, do people also apply this treatment to their ribs? If so, what are the findings?

Thanks.
 
I do not used it on butts, briskets or ribs. But, I have used it on all of the above at one time or another for experimenting and never really noticed a difference one way or the other, other than maybe a bit of bark increase.
 
i use it on butts and ribs. doesn't add any flavor at all, nor is it supposed to. it's simply so the rub will stick.
 
I use it to help me get good coverage of rub over the product. I find it particularly helpful with butts. It holds the rub onto the sides of the meat much better than if I didn't use it at all.
 
I've used yellow mustard, worcestershire, oil and various combinations. I don't really think any of them did much for flavor. Really, pork butt is the only one that I see benefiting from a rub adherence stand-point, since it has tall sides. Brisket and ribs are flat enough that it shouldn't matter.

I inject my butts and use the injection that spills out as the glue to hold my rub on.
 
I have been curious about this question and so ran a blind taste test last week.

I took babyback ribs and cut them into 2-rib pieces. I used identical amounts of the same rub on each piece. One I just used rub. The second I used yellow mustard (supermarket brand). The third I used a blend of Dijon and a high-quality balsamic vinegar. I cooked them all in the oven at 250 for 2.5 hours (I wanted to use a cooking method that would not affect the flavor).

I had my wife taste them blind, and her assessment matched my own. We could definitely taste the Dijon/balsamic. It added a pleasant flavor that seemed to enhance the flavor of the rub. We could both recognize the Dijon by both smell and taste. The ribs also appeared a bit darker (presumably because of the balsamic). The yellow mustard ribs had a slightly brighter/yellower appearance (only slightly) and didn't seem to have much of a taste difference. We did not notice a significant difference between the yellow mustard and the "just rub" in either bark or flavor.

Those were my results. I am going to use a Dijon/balsamic blend when I smoke some spares today (although I am using a bit less than I did during the experiment to try to decrease the flavor).
 
Up until recently I always used plain yellow mustard to slather on ribs and butts prior to rubbing.

I read a number of posts from people swearing that it made absolutely no difference whether it was used or not, so the last couple of smokes I skipped that step.

I didn't notice any discernible difference. I may sporadically use it going forward just to use up some of the mustard I've stockpiled!
 
I did a couple racks of spare ribs this weekend with the mustard and it definitely helped the rub stick, and thus helped a nice crust form. Would the rub have stuck anyway on a rack of ribs? Probably so. Still, seeing as the mustard doesn't impart a flavor on the final product I just view it as insurance.

I did find that since I used mustard I didn't lose too much rub while they sat in the fridge and thus the last minute dusting I gave the ribs resulted in a little too much flavor (and overpowered the meat a little bit). If you used the mustard be warned: re-apply rub carefully.
 
I don't use anything for my ribs, just a wash/dry, and rub...I usually let them sit for 20 minutes or so after the rub to let it soak in a little.

I have been using mustard on butts though, cause I like a lot of rub, and the mustard helps it stick. I usually take my butts from the freezer though, so without the mustard, rub doesn't stick too well.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I didn't notice any discernible difference. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Mustard's flavor and sharpness cannot stand up to heat. That's why mustard sauces and dressings are either uncooked or only barely simmered. It's also why dry mustard is useless in a rub.
 
I used to use mustard, but then decided to try it without. I found no difference and the rub still stuck because the meat was still moist from me washing it. So, I don't use mustard anymore since it doesn't really seem to be doing anything.
 
Always had used mustard until last weekend. Made ribs last weekend with no mustard and they had a great crust. Probably will still use it on pork butts.
 
The consensus seems to be that applying mustard makes no difference.

However, I think I'll still use it. I know it sounds silly, but psychologically, when I am rubbing mustard into the meat I'm thinking "man this is gonna taste good".
 
as far as the rub glue point. I find that mustard actually does the opposite. slathering with mustard and then rubbing creates a wet surface that is messy and easily disturbed when the meat is handled to put into the smoker.

A dusting of rub takes a minute or two to set and can stand some limited handling.
 
I like mustard on my onion rings-Does that make me weird?
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