Why???


 
Chuck Dugas

Chuck Dugas

TVWBB Pro
Why do all my bb ribs taste like HAM ! Is it the smoke,charcoal,meat rubs,I've done now 10 racks and everyone has a ham taste. It seems like everyone has a different opinion on this Hammy taste.
Thanks for any ideas or suggestions.
Chuck..
 
1) ensure you aren't buying "seasoned" pork
2) don't add salt to your rubs
3) try using just a light fruit wood (if you use hickory)

Those 3 things are typically the things that will give "ham" type flavors. Other than that, maybe move to beef ribs?? haha
 
Don't rub your ribs too much in advance of smoking. A sugar-salt combo, if put on your ribs overnight (or just a few hours before smoking) may brine your ribs, hence the hammy flavor. I light my lump or briquettes in the chimney starter, then apply salt and the rub. Ribs go on the smoker in 20 minutes, and no ham flavor. Good luck.
 
Chuck, when buying ur ribs make sure there not enchanced, if enhanced already have to much salt, and do not ever buy any type of meat already seasoned, do not over rub the ribs to early especially if rub contains alot of salt, hope this help's gl.
 
Chuck - two thoughts:
(They may not be the complete answer to your issue, but they may be worth a try.)

#1 - I agree with Scooter. Check the type of Smoke Wood you're using. Hickory can tend to produce a "hammy" taste. (I like Apple & Maple with ribs)

#2 - Maybe the charcoal. Perhaps give lump a try - From what others have said in the past, it sounds like it tends to be more flavor-neutral.
 
ham? call it bacon flavor and no one can complain
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Chuck, are you using enhanced ribs? They start out salty then you add more salt when you add on your rub. Could be the issue
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. I buy all my bb ribs at Sam's Club.I don't think they are enhanced. The two things I'm going to try is, Use lump and not use Hickory. I tried rub on for 24hrs and rub on right before I put them on the WSM,neither had any effect.I'll let you all know if I get rid of the Hammy taste. Like J. said if it tasted like bacon I would not complain.
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thanks Again.
 
the charcoal or wood you use will not effect the hammy flavor.

salt=ham

cut out the salt. trust me, i went through this.

personally i use lump and 3 1 1 cherry, hickory, and apple.
 
Dylan, We do salt the ribs and the BBO 3000 also has alot of salt. next time no salt. I let you know if it works. Thanks for the info.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dylan:
the charcoal or wood you use will not effect the hammy flavor.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
FWIW, I agree. I use hickory all the time on ribs and other meat and never get a "Hammy" taste. There's no salt in hickory, and the wood doesn't come in contact with the ribs anyway. Salting and then using a rub with additional salt, especially letting the ribs sit in it before smoking, is IMO your problem. IMO, salt the ribs as you would salt a steak and use a no salt rub. You might dislike the ribs with zero salt as much as you dislike hammy ribs
 
My local Sam's is one of two places I get non enhanced ribs.

You are not telling us what you are doing to the ribs so everybody has to guess. You should post all steps after taking out of cryovac.

Anyhow my guess is are you doing something to them the night before. I used to marinate ribs in italian dressing the night before. Very hammy taste. I used to like them till I found this site with the many recipes.

I don't know if I agree with the hickory smoke giving a ham taste. One thing about it though, you can try different smokewood once to see if that makes a difference.
 
Ran into "hammy ribs" also. Didn't over salt them. Didn't rub them long. Weren't "enhanced". I think they were "undercooked" at a low temp. This is one of the reasons I like to cook at 300F. The fat renders better and there's more of a "cooked" taste, rather than a "ham" taste.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dylan:
the charcoal or wood you use will not effect the hammy flavor. <span class="ev_code_RED"> Totally agree</span>

salt=ham <span class="ev_code_RED">Totally disagree. Too much salt and/or too much salt applied for too long of a period, could give a hammy taste. But BBQ HAS to have salt, IMO. It provides flavor and helps produce bark. Over cooking can also give a hammy flavor.</span>

cut out the salt. trust me, i went through this. <span class="ev_code_RED">The only way I would OMIT salt is if the ribs were enhanced, but I wouldn't cook enhanced ribs period. </span>

personally i use lump and 3 1 1 cherry, hickory, and apple <span class="ev_code_RED">I see and hear a lot of people do this and it baffles me, pick one wood to cook with on WSM. If you're cooking on an offset, mixing woods works better as you're using one for heat and one for flavor. In the WSM, the wood is all for flavor. Mixing three, just makes no sense to me.</span> </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't mean to have picked your post apart, I hope it doesn't appear that way.
 
That's great now were back to 1st base. What causes bb ribs to taste Hammy.
1. wood
2. coal/lump
3. temps.
4. marinade
5. to much salt.
6. rubs.
7. enhanced.
8. under smoked.
Then larry, what causes a rib to taste hammy??
I know its been address alot but no one gives a concrete ansewer. Or just maybe there is no ansewer.
 
Usually it's the use of enhanced ribs (I don't shop at Sam's but read the label regardless), or rubbing in advance, especially with heavily sugared rubs (it's not the salt, it's the salt-sugar combo). If you've rubbed just before smoking and that didn't seem to make a difference, and you've checked the rib packaging label, cut the sugar in your rub.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">especially with heavily sugared rubs (it's not the salt, it's the salt-sugar combo) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

that's interesting. This ham problem crops up now and again and the common fix is to not rub over night. Personally, it never made much sense to me because I sometimes rub over night and never got anything ham like. But I don't use sugar in my rubs, or very little, so it makes sense to me now.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> If you're cooking on an offset, mixing woods works better as you're using one for heat and one for flavor. In the WSM, the wood is all for flavor. Mixing three, just makes no sense to me. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm going to disagree. I like to use fruit woods for their sweet taste, and hickory or oak for a fuller smoke flavor. I don't think one alone works for me. The fruit woods are great, but they just don't pack the punch that the others do.

Think of it like chiles. Each has a unique flavor and blending them can lead to new flavor combinations. Rarely will you see just one specified in a recipe, they are always used in combos and blended.
 
I have limited experience, but...

I made ribs once, they were enhanced, and they tasted like ham. But, it may be b/c I didnt' cook them long enough also. Not sure
 
Experiment!!!!
Go get a couple of racks and cut them in half.
Do the four separate pieces differently and see how it works out. Be sure to smoke one of them naked, just a little salt and pepper. If it is hammy it has to be the wood or salt but I'd bet it wont be hammy.
 
Thanks everyone for the ideas. I checked,Sams Club don't have enhanced ribs.
After all the responses,I guess I'll do what Greg said and experiment.I'll let you know what I find out.
Thanks again.
Chuck.
 
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