A judge at the Memphis in May contest told me my ribs were too sweet

He pulled me aside after the turn-in and said, 'Son, you're burying good pork under a half inch of sugar glaze.' I went home and cut my brown sugar rub by two thirds, focusing more on salt and pepper with just a touch of paprika. Now my ribs get a better bark and the pork flavor really comes through. Anyone else get a piece of tough love that actually improved their cook?

2 comments

2 Comments

juliagonzalez2d ago

My uncle told me my first brisket tasted like a salty pot roast, which stung but he was right. I was so scared of it being bland I overdid the rub and cooked it way too fast. Now I use maybe a tablespoon of coarse salt for the whole packer and let the smoke do the work. That kind of direct feedback is brutal in the moment but it makes you actually learn instead of just guessing.

alice_wilson732d ago

Ever notice how the fear of bland food makes you ruin it every time? I did the same thing with a pork shoulder once... used so much rub it crusted over like a salt lick. The real trick is to season it like you would a good steak, then just leave it alone. That smoke flavor builds up on its own if you give it enough time.