Something I don't read about often is the use of plain old unsweetened
apple juice as a marinade for pork or chicken. I've seen recipes and
techniques using apple sauce or apple juice concentrate, but don't see
the use of plain old apple juice often. I get mine in gallon jugs at
Albertson's and haven't noticed any difference between the expensive and
cheapest versions. I've tried several different recipes and techniques,
but have consistently found that using apple juice gives me a decent and
mild apple flavor to ribs, butt or chicken, has just enough natural
sugar leeching back out to give a little bit of sweet crust to the meat
and that it's pretty efficient to carry other seasonings like my rub
into the meat. Since I add a little salt to the juice when marinating,
I suspect that it's kind of like a mild brine- but enhanced with the
vacuum Foodsaver.

I've seen frequent favorable references to using turbanado sugar in a
rub or brown sugar, but would like to suggest that if you've not tried
just the apple juice and seasonings, that you give it a try.

Right now, I have a nice butt in a large bowl that's been soaking in
apple juice, a little mustard (CYM, Brick) and my rub for 3 days. I'd
have liked to do it in a vacuum, but it's too blasted big. This
evening, I'll take it out and blot it dry. It'll then get smeared
liberally with bacon drippings and coated well with my dry rub before
being placed in the smoker overnight. By tomorrow, it should be edible
and hopefully won't choke the folks showing up here for sandwiches
tomorrow. <Grin>

Getting back to the vacuum marinade, does anyone know of a place to get
a large vacuum container that would hold a butt or brisket?

Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
You don’t stand any taller by
trying to make others appear shorter.

"Nonnymous"

Morphing again <yawn>

Graeme

I don't use apple juice as a marinade per say, but I do use it as a
mop/baste when doing ribs. I usually mop on a bit of apple juice every hour
or so during the smoke. I've always made a point to buy the 100% apple
juice, not from concentrate, when buying apple juice, it usually isn't any
more expensive, just a bit harder to find on the shelves. I've also used it
when I've had to finish my ribs in the oven rather than the smoker, when the
weather dictates. I usually boat/tent up my ribs before placing them in the
oven. I usually add a bit of apple juice to the boat before covering them.
I've also added a bit of apple juice to a brisket that I FTC'd for a few
hours before serving.

I'm also a big fan of turbinado sugar, which I use in most of my rubs now.
As far as using brown sugar in a rub, I've always found it necessary to dry
my brown sugar in the oven before adding it to a rub, otherwise the moisture
in the brown sugar gums up the rub, and the brown sugar doesn't mix well.
To do so, I've always spread the brown sugar out on a clean cookie sheet and
put it in the oven for a while. This is usually sufficient to dry it out.

My favorite rub uses both turbinado sugar and brown sugar, along with alot
of heat.

Matt


"Nonnymous" > wrote in message
...
> Something I don't read about often is the use of plain old unsweetened
> apple juice as a marinade for pork or chicken. I've seen recipes and
> techniques using apple sauce or apple juice concentrate, but don't see the
> use of plain old apple juice often. I get mine in gallon jugs at
> Albertson's and haven't noticed any difference between the expensive and
> cheapest versions. I've tried several different recipes and techniques,
> but have consistently found that using apple juice gives me a decent and
> mild apple flavor to ribs, butt or chicken, has just enough natural sugar
> leeching back out to give a little bit of sweet crust to the meat and that
> it's pretty efficient to carry other seasonings like my rub into the meat.
> Since I add a little salt to the juice when marinating, I suspect that
> it's kind of like a mild brine- but enhanced with the vacuum Foodsaver.
>
> I've seen frequent favorable references to using turbanado sugar in a rub
> or brown sugar, but would like to suggest that if you've not tried just
> the apple juice and seasonings, that you give it a try.
>
> Right now, I have a nice butt in a large bowl that's been soaking in apple
> juice, a little mustard (CYM, Brick) and my rub for 3 days. I'd have
> liked to do it in a vacuum, but it's too blasted big. This evening, I'll
> take it out and blot it dry. It'll then get smeared liberally with bacon
> drippings and coated well with my dry rub before being placed in the
> smoker overnight. By tomorrow, it should be edible and hopefully won't
> choke the folks showing up here for sandwiches tomorrow. <Grin>
>
> Getting back to the vacuum marinade, does anyone know of a place to get a
> large vacuum container that would hold a butt or brisket?
>
> Nonny
> --
> ---Nonnymus---
> You don’t stand any taller by
> trying to make others appear shorter.

Nonnymous > wrote in news:8rpsi.3185$Mu5.1025
@newsfe15.phx:

> I've seen frequent favorable references to using turbanado sugar in a
> rub or brown sugar, but would like to suggest that if you've not tried
> just the apple juice and seasonings, that you give it a try.
>

Cheapo grocery store brand cola works well on chicken...I add a little
chipotle powder to it.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

"Nonnymous" > wrote in message
>
> Right now, I have a nice butt

Sure, but as you get older, it will sag a bit and get some wrinkles.

On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 15:15:07 -0400, "Matt"
> wrote:

>
>I'm also a big fan of turbinado sugar, which I use in most of my rubs now.
>As far as using brown sugar in a rub, I've always found it necessary to dry
>my brown sugar in the oven before adding it to a rub, otherwise the moisture
>in the brown sugar gums up the rub, and the brown sugar doesn't mix well.
>To do so, I've always spread the brown sugar out on a clean cookie sheet and
>put it in the oven for a while. This is usually sufficient to dry it out.

Never thought of that. Low temp? Maybe 200? Experiment with time?

"raymond" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 15:15:07 -0400, "Matt"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>I'm also a big fan of turbinado sugar, which I use in most of my rubs now.
>>As far as using brown sugar in a rub, I've always found it necessary to
>>dry
>>my brown sugar in the oven before adding it to a rub, otherwise the
>>moisture
>>in the brown sugar gums up the rub, and the brown sugar doesn't mix well.
>>To do so, I've always spread the brown sugar out on a clean cookie sheet
>>and
>>put it in the oven for a while. This is usually sufficient to dry it out.
>
> Never thought of that. Low temp? Maybe 200? Experiment with time?

Yes, low temp. My oven's lowest temp setting is 170, but even at that I
usually leave the oven door open just a bit to help keep temps down. I keep
checking it, every so often, but I would guess maybe an hour or so.

On Aug 2, 2:32 pm, Nonnymous > wrote:
> Something I don't read about often is the use of plain old unsweetened
> apple juice as a marinade for pork or chicken. I've seen recipes and
> techniques using apple sauce or apple juice concentrate, but don't see
> the use of plain old apple juice often. I get mine in gallon jugs at
> Albertson's and haven't noticed any difference between the expensive and
> cheapest versions. I've tried several different recipes and techniques,
> but have consistently found that using apple juice gives me a decent and
> mild apple flavor to ribs, butt or chicken, has just enough natural
> sugar leeching back out to give a little bit of sweet crust to the meat
> and that it's pretty efficient to carry other seasonings like my rub
> into the meat. Since I add a little salt to the juice when marinating,
> I suspect that it's kind of like a mild brine- but enhanced with the
> vacuum Foodsaver.
>
> I've seen frequent favorable references to using turbanado sugar in a
> rub or brown sugar, but would like to suggest that if you've not tried
> just the apple juice and seasonings, that you give it a try.
>
> Right now, I have a nice butt in a large bowl that's been soaking in
> apple juice, a little mustard (CYM, Brick) and my rub for 3 days. I'd
> have liked to do it in a vacuum, but it's too blasted big. This
> evening, I'll take it out and blot it dry. It'll then get smeared
> liberally with bacon drippings and coated well with my dry rub before
> being placed in the smoker overnight. By tomorrow, it should be edible
> and hopefully won't choke the folks showing up here for sandwiches
> tomorrow. <Grin>
>
> Getting back to the vacuum marinade, does anyone know of a place to get
> a large vacuum container that would hold a butt or brisket?
>
> Nonny
> --
> ---Nonnymus---
> You don't stand any taller by
> trying to make others appear shorter.




I usually use pineapple juice as the enzymes help tenderize whatever
you use it on.

Nonny, We recently used the roll type bag maker and the butts we had
just fit. Brisket probably would not. OH