Use Honey as a binder on pork butt?


 
M

Mike May

TVWBB Member
I'm cooking a couple of pork butts this weekend and was thinking about using honey as a binder for my rub - thinking that might help develop a pretty nice bark. Have any of you tried something like this? What do you think?

I typically cook with a temp of 250° measured at the dome and don't usually foil.
 
Ive never used honey but I'd worry that even though its low and slow the sugar in the honey could bitter or burn.
but if your doing a couple use honey on one of them and something else on the rest and let us know how it goes.

good luck
 
I have heard of some injections using honey but have never heard of it being used to help the rub to adhere. I'm no expert but I'd be concerned with it getting bitter tasting being subjected to 250 degrees for a prolonged period of time. I'm sure others with more expertise than I can offer some definitive insight.
 
I dont' see why honey wouldn't work. my only concern would be if you'd have to use more than the equivalent amount of sugar that you normally use. i'm sure there are calculators online. my wife substitutes honey for sugar all the time.
 
I wouldn't think it would have a ton of benefit. It might help to form a glaze (a la city hams) but not bark.

Bark at it's core is really just dried out meat - like a really thin layer of well seasoned jerky over the roast. Honey wouldn't aid in that process and might actually prevent a good bark from forming.

I think it's an intriguing idea but I might be inclined to treat the honey more like a sauce. Let the meat cook and form a bark, then spread on some honey partway through the cook to glaze and crisp up a bit.
 
I never have, nor heared of anyone using honey as a binder. I would think that it would really blacken up on you. That being said, I do put brown sugar in my rub. Really though, I don't think that you even need a binder on butts. They're plenty moist and hold the rub just fine on their own.
 
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