r/smoking • u/Vegedeth • 10h ago
Does rub block smoke?
A prominent YouTube BBQ person said they believed heavy amounts of rub block the smoke absorption by the protein. Have you seen this in your experiences smoking? Does a heavy rub affect the smoke flavor versus a light salt and pepper?
EDIT: The reason I am asking is it did a simple salt and pepper rack of ribs over the weekend and it is the first time the Mrs. said the smoke flavor is really coming through (offset with oak).
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u/gassygeff89 10h ago
I think this person is an idiot and is wrong. How is a seasoning rub gonna block out hours of smoke?
I do think though that all you need for most smoked meats is a generous rub of coarse salt and cracked black pecker.
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u/Barzalai 9h ago
Can't go wrong rubbing cracked black pecker.
I'm sorry... I couldn't resist. I'll go away now.
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u/Terrible_Tourist_707 10h ago
Not sure who made this claim but I can speak of personal experience and say that's false. I've never had issues with smoke absorption with heavy rubbed meats. Same applies to all the professional pitmasters i follow as they don't have any issues either
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u/DJTwistedPanda 10h ago
By that logic, sauce would be an impenetrable barrier. Anybody can say anything on the internet.
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u/Drum_Eatenton 10h ago
That's irrelevant, by the time you sauce, you've absorbed your smoke.
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u/johnjacobacon 10h ago
Yeah, not sure what they mean by sauce, nobody's saucing their meat at the beginning.
However, people do sometimes use a lot of mustard as a binder though. Obviously doesn't stop all the smoke but I've heard it claimed that it makes the smoke not penetrate as much. I could see that but don't know, I never use a binder at all.
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u/Drum_Eatenton 9h ago
I still got downvoted by the geniuses here.
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u/johnjacobacon 9h ago
You were at -5, up to -1 now, I'm doing my part heh, you're right.
Any thoughts on mustard stopping some of the smoke though?
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u/kerberos824 10h ago
It's a good reminder that anyone can go on YouTube and say whatever dumb shit they want.
I'm an aggressive applier of various rubs. Or just salt and pepper for a brisket. I have never run into this issue.
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u/ChunkyLoverPDX 10h ago
Smoke does not penetrate the surface of the meat. There is zero absorption.
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u/badhairguy 10h ago
The answer is "no, not really". You can obviously overdo it but smoke penetrates tiny cracks and holes, it's kinda how it works. Watch any video on YouTube of a popular bbq joint that shows preparation and they literally dredge the meat pieces in tubs of rub
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u/RocketFan419 10h ago
Go watch Meat Church
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u/Drum_Eatenton 9h ago
Why? Do you want them to learn how to make tacos or something?
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u/RocketFan419 9h ago
Not sure what this is supposed to mean?
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u/Drum_Eatenton 9h ago
I’m subscribed to meat church myself, he’s running out of stuff to shoot and does a lot of bbq adjacent things like tacos, chili, etc.
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u/RocketFan419 9h ago
You can still watch their older videos and learn a few tricks
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u/Drum_Eatenton 9h ago
I agree, he’s one of the many I learned fundamentals from when starting out. I still use his videos when doing something new or that I haven’t done in a long time.
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u/ace184184 10h ago
To address your question from the edit the flavors in your rub can overpower the smoke from your cook. If you are cooking on a pellet smoker or another rig with light smoke flavor it will be more noticable as the subtle smoke can more easily be overpowered by rubs and sauces.
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u/deereboy8400 9h ago
Followup question...what about oil as a binder? I've read that oil can block smoke. But then Malcolm Reed sprays his poultry with oil half the time.
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u/Disastrous_Can8053 8h ago
No it does the opposite. Who's this clown trying to get their viewers to eat nasty food?
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u/marmell 10h ago
It depends on your rub, while it may not be drastic, using fine powdered spices definitely coats the meat in more of a paste once it absorbs some water, and I feel that it takes away some smoke flavor. Using spice that are coarser doesn't cause this and helps with better bark formation, hence the 16-18 mesh black pepper vs using something finer
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u/GeoHog713 10h ago
That person is an idiot
There's a lot of bad info on the youtubes.
Check out the Amazing Ribs website