marinade observation
 

When fixing ribs, I used to marinate them in apple juice for a few days
in the refrigerator. Later on, I got a vacuum sealer and learned I
could do a better job in about a day using a vacuum cannister. When the
ribs are marinated, I take them out, let them drip on the racks, then
wipe very lightly with CYM (Thanks, Brick, for the abbreviation) and
then dust liberally with my home made rub.

Over time, I've naturally experimented with different ways to do it and
can't understand something. One experiment I've done several times is
to divide the ribs equally into two vacuum cannisters. One gets the
unsweetened apple juice and nothing more. The other gets the same apple
juice, but also a good scoop of my dry rub and a heaping tsp of CYM.

What I consistently get is my own, Mrs. Nonny's and guests preferences
for ribs done in just the apple juice and "seasoned" just before
smoking. One alternative has been to "reseason" the ones marinated in
the mixture with more dry rub, but folks still gravitate to the ones
just marinated in apple juice and then seasoned at the last minute
before smoking. Do any of you pros have any thoughts about why this
would be?

In my rub, I use spices only, and have no sugar, salt or cracked pepper.
However, when I season ribs after marinating, I add salt and pepper
along with the dry rub, so that's not a variable. Somehow, when the rub
is marinated into the meat, the flavor just isn't as good as when it's
just sprinkled on before cooking, and I can't come up with a good reason
to explain it.

Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

marinade observation
 

Nonnymus wrote:

> What I consistently get is my own, Mrs. Nonny's and guests preferences
> for ribs done in just the apple juice and "seasoned" just before
> smoking. One alternative has been to "reseason" the ones marinated in
> the mixture with more dry rub, but folks still gravitate to the ones
> just marinated in apple juice and then seasoned at the last minute
> before smoking. Do any of you pros have any thoughts about why this
> would be?

The only thing I do is put the rub on the ribs just befor going into the
pit.
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

marinade observation
 

Dave Bugg wrote:
> Nonnymus wrote:
>
>> What I consistently get is my own, Mrs. Nonny's and guests preferences
>> for ribs done in just the apple juice and "seasoned" just before
>> smoking. One alternative has been to "reseason" the ones marinated in
>> the mixture with more dry rub, but folks still gravitate to the ones
>> just marinated in apple juice and then seasoned at the last minute
>> before smoking. Do any of you pros have any thoughts about why this
>> would be?
>
> The only thing I do is put the rub on the ribs just befor going into the
> pit.

Same here, and I don't marinate 'em at all.

Dana

marinade observation
 

Dana Myers wrote:
> Dave Bugg wrote:
>> Nonnymus wrote:
>>
>>> What I consistently get is my own, Mrs. Nonny's and guests preferences
>>> for ribs done in just the apple juice and "seasoned" just before
>>> smoking. One alternative has been to "reseason" the ones marinated in
>>> the mixture with more dry rub, but folks still gravitate to the ones
>>> just marinated in apple juice and then seasoned at the last minute
>>> before smoking. Do any of you pros have any thoughts about why this
>>> would be?
>>
>> The only thing I do is put the rub on the ribs just befor going into
>> the pit.
>
> Same here, and I don't marinate 'em at all.
\
It's a matter of taste, and I would suggest that you give it a try.
Sure, I've done them with just a rub many times, but in taste tests, my
friends always seem to gravitate to the ones I marinated in apple juice.
Somehow, the apple juice goes well with pork, and I also do pork chops
and cutlets in it as well most of the time. YMMV

--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

marinade observation
 

Nonnymus wrote:
> Dana Myers wrote:
>> Dave Bugg wrote:

>>> The only thing I do is put the rub on the ribs just befor going into
>>> the pit.
>>
>> Same here, and I don't marinate 'em at all.
> \
> It's a matter of taste, and I would suggest that you give it a try.

Been there, done that.

> Sure, I've done them with just a rub many times, but in taste tests, my
> friends always seem to gravitate to the ones I marinated in apple juice.
> Somehow, the apple juice goes well with pork, and I also do pork chops
> and cutlets in it as well most of the time. YMMV

Perhaps you could save the time you marinate, and just take some
apple juice concentrate, let it thaw, and use the concentrate as a
glaze - just brush it on when you take the ribs out of the cooker
and they're still hot. I wouldn't at all be surprised if you get
the same effect (adding sweetness).

Dana

marinade observation
 

Dana Myers wrote:

pork chops and cutlets in it as well most of the time. YMMV
>
> Perhaps you could save the time you marinate, and just take some
> apple juice concentrate, let it thaw, and use the concentrate as a
> glaze - just brush it on when you take the ribs out of the cooker
> and they're still hot. I wouldn't at all be surprised if you get
> the same effect (adding sweetness).

Excellent suggestion, and it also can be done as a mop during the
cooking process. When I do it in the vacuum cannister, the juice is
literally in the meat and I think it's a little different.

This might be too off the wall for ya', but have you ever tried mopping
chicken parts with apple juice mixed with a little Texas Pete while
grilling? It makes a spicy glaze, as you describe, and it's darned good
and "light." If you don't want to mop it as often, you can cook it down
a tad, but I grill my chicken with the lid open, so it doesn't bother me
to mop frequently.

Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

marinade observation
 

Nonnymus wrote:
> Dana Myers wrote:
>> Dave Bugg wrote:
>>> Nonnymus wrote:
>>>
>>>> What I consistently get is my own, Mrs. Nonny's and guests
>>>> preferences for ribs done in just the apple juice and "seasoned"
>>>> just before smoking. One alternative has been to "reseason" the
>>>> ones marinated in the mixture with more dry rub, but folks still
>>>> gravitate to the ones just marinated in apple juice and then
>>>> seasoned at the last minute before smoking. Do any of you pros
>>>> have any thoughts about why this would be?
>>>
>>> The only thing I do is put the rub on the ribs just befor going into
>>> the pit.
>>
>> Same here, and I don't marinate 'em at all.
> \
> It's a matter of taste, and I would suggest that you give it a try.
> Sure, I've done them with just a rub many times, but in taste tests,
> my friends always seem to gravitate to the ones I marinated in apple
> juice. Somehow, the apple juice goes well with pork, and I also do
> pork chops and cutlets in it as well most of the time. YMMV

I've done a lot of testing with marinating. I don't like the texture to the
meat or the infused flavor. I want the taste of the pork to be enhanced with
the rub, but I don't want the taste of the meat adulterated. Just my
preference. My customers seem to keep coming back for more.

--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

marinade observation
 

Dave Bugg wrote:

> I've done a lot of testing with marinating. I don't like the texture to the
> meat or the infused flavor. I want the taste of the pork to be enhanced with
> the rub, but I don't want the taste of the meat adulterated. Just my
> preference. My customers seem to keep coming back for more.
>
Dave, have you ever tried a light oil? I've not done it, but have sure
thought about it. I wonder if a light oil vacuum marinade would help
with moisture and tenderness like marbling does in meat.

--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

marinade observation
 

Nonnymus wrote:
> Dave Bugg wrote:
>
>> I've done a lot of testing with marinating. I don't like the texture
>> to the meat or the infused flavor. I want the taste of the pork to
>> be enhanced with the rub, but I don't want the taste of the meat
>> adulterated. Just my preference. My customers seem to keep coming
>> back for more.
> Dave, have you ever tried a light oil? I've not done it, but have
> sure thought about it. I wonder if a light oil vacuum marinade would
> help with moisture and tenderness like marbling does in meat.

Can't say I have, Nonny.

--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

marinade observation
 

Nonnymus wrote:
> When fixing ribs, I used to marinate them in apple juice for a few days
> in the refrigerator. Later on, I got a vacuum sealer and learned I
> could do a better job in about a day using a vacuum cannister. When the
> ribs are marinated, I take them out, let them drip on the racks, then
> wipe very lightly with CYM (Thanks, Brick, for the abbreviation) and
> then dust liberally with my home made rub.
>
> Over time, I've naturally experimented with different ways to do it and
> can't understand something. One experiment I've done several times is
> to divide the ribs equally into two vacuum cannisters. One gets the
> unsweetened apple juice and nothing more. The other gets the same apple
> juice, but also a good scoop of my dry rub and a heaping tsp of CYM.
>
> What I consistently get is my own, Mrs. Nonny's and guests preferences
> for ribs done in just the apple juice and "seasoned" just before
> smoking. One alternative has been to "reseason" the ones marinated in
> the mixture with more dry rub, but folks still gravitate to the ones
> just marinated in apple juice and then seasoned at the last minute
> before smoking. Do any of you pros have any thoughts about why this
> would be?
>
> In my rub, I use spices only, and have no sugar, salt or cracked pepper.
> However, when I season ribs after marinating, I add salt and pepper
> along with the dry rub, so that's not a variable. Somehow, when the rub
> is marinated into the meat, the flavor just isn't as good as when it's
> just sprinkled on before cooking, and I can't come up with a good reason
> to explain it.
>
> Nonny
why all the work, just rub, and put on the pit. Let the smoke and heat
do the work. If the smoke and heat aren't "tendering" up your ribs,
close the dampers, you've probably got too much heat. Too much heat and
too much smoke all at the same time equals uneatable black crap.


mk

marinade observation
 

mikel68 wrote:
> Nonnymus wrote:
>> When fixing ribs, I used to marinate them in apple juice for a few
>> days in the refrigerator. Later on, I got a vacuum sealer and learned
>> I could do a better job in about a day using a vacuum cannister. When
>> the ribs are marinated, I take them out, let them drip on the racks,
>> then wipe very lightly with CYM (Thanks, Brick, for the abbreviation)
>> and then dust liberally with my home made rub.
>>
>> Over time, I've naturally experimented with different ways to do it
>> and can't understand something. One experiment I've done several
>> times is to divide the ribs equally into two vacuum cannisters. One
>> gets the unsweetened apple juice and nothing more. The other gets the
>> same apple juice, but also a good scoop of my dry rub and a heaping
>> tsp of CYM.
>>
>> What I consistently get is my own, Mrs. Nonny's and guests preferences
>> for ribs done in just the apple juice and "seasoned" just before
>> smoking. One alternative has been to "reseason" the ones marinated in
>> the mixture with more dry rub, but folks still gravitate to the ones
>> just marinated in apple juice and then seasoned at the last minute
>> before smoking. Do any of you pros have any thoughts about why this
>> would be?
>>
>> In my rub, I use spices only, and have no sugar, salt or cracked
>> pepper. However, when I season ribs after marinating, I add salt and
>> pepper along with the dry rub, so that's not a variable. Somehow,
>> when the rub is marinated into the meat, the flavor just isn't as good
>> as when it's just sprinkled on before cooking, and I can't come up
>> with a good reason to explain it.
>>
>> Nonny
> why all the work, just rub, and put on the pit. Let the smoke and heat
> do the work. If the smoke and heat aren't "tendering" up your ribs,
> close the dampers, you've probably got too much heat. Too much heat and
> too much smoke all at the same time equals uneatable black crap.

Mike, I don't disagree with your assessment about how to cook tender
ribs. My posted observations were about flavor. The tenderness and
smoke are just fine. The comments I made said that I preferred ribs
marinated in apple juice over ribs marinated in apple juice mixed with
CYM and rub. That's all.

I opened a vacuum bag with 6 ribs in it last night. It'd been in the
freezer for about a month. Mrs. Nonny and I are on diets, but there's a
limit to anything and a month without ribs just isn;t worth it. The bag
was tossed into a pot of boiling water and the heat reduced to a simmer.
In a short while, the ribs were as warm as when they came out of the
Bradley. The flavor was terrific, with the spices of the rub, smoke and
apple juice in reasonable proportions. 3 blasted ribs each isn't quite
enough to even warrant a toothpick, but it got us through the night.

Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son