rubs in the FoodSaver

[Guest]

Got my SMC early this summer after too many years on the little Brinkman can. Love it to death. Found this site. Love IT to death.

For the past two months I've been putting all my rubbed meat into a FoodSaver bag and vacuum sealing it instead of just wrapping it and putting it in the frig overnight. 20 minutes with the brown sugar rub and salmon is glorious all the way through.

Tried ribs twice this way. First time I rubbed them about 9 am and had them in the smoker around 2 pm. Second time I rubbed them at 8 pm the night before, sealed them and got them on the smoker around 2 pm next afternoon. On several other occasions I've rubbed and wrapped the night before - standard drill.

Vacuum seal for a few hours is the hands-down winner to my taste. Five hours of vacuum seal got the "right" amount of rub all the way into the meat. The overnight seal was way off; way too much rub in the meat, the ribs were too salty and too hot (fairly standard cayenne/salt/brown sugar rub). The overnight rub and wrap doesn't get enough rub into the meat (IMO).

Also did this with a pork butt, and it was far and away the best of the butts I did this summer.

This doesn't affect cooking in the slightest. Cook at normal temps for the normal time, consuming the normal amount of adult beverage.

Anybody else tried this?

 

[Doug D]

Interesting concept. I have the Foodsaver marinating dish, and love what it does for cuts like chuck eye, but no way could it hold a rack of ribs. Certainly the vacuum bag sealing presses and holds the rub to the surface of the meat in a way not possible otherwise, but do you think the benefits outweigh the cost of the bag?

 

[Dan Bond]

I just got a foodsaver for a gift and will try to seal in some rub this weekend. It really sounds like a good idea. I will post my results when I'm done.

 

[Gregg Reavis]

I too have the Food Saver marinating dish. I have not found it to work all that well. A recent issue of Cook's Illustrated tested a vacuum marinating dish (not a food saver) versus letting it sit in the 'fridge for several hours. They found letting it sit worked better. Just wished they'd published before I bought my vacuum dish. I'd imagine it's the same for rubs too. The most important factor being allowing enough time for the rub to get into the meat.

 

[Guest]

To Doug B

I always re-use my bags, and in fact the bag that held the rub on the ribs is a perfect candidate for storing leftovers. We don't buy the pre-cut bgs, always buy the roll of bag material.

I haven't tried marinating anything in the marinating dish yet. May try it for chicken or pork chops (they may not even go into the smoker!).

 

[Wesley S]

The people on amazon seem to love this dish. I was not aware they had one so thanks for pointing it out to me.