Secret to getting that beautiful bark on your pork butt

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therealrsr

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This is one of the most common questions I get.

Simple, give it the dry rub with time to penetrate and then slather it with yellow mustard before smoking. A catch pan is highly recommended.
 
My home smoker is a simple 2 barrel offset. The comp one, also an offset, is a friends trailer that can hold 4 whole hogs.
 
Is the mustard what crisps up? I've only use my smoker once and it was a pork butt with a dry rub but no mustard. not much of a bark on it.
 
I have heard of mustard before the rub but not after. Maybe I got it backwards

Same here, you put the mustard on top of the rub? I guess it makes sense, you want the rub to have full contact with the meat.

I've always just used a large amount of brown sugar in my rub, cake it on thick. The sugar caramelizes and created a good dark crust.
 
I do mustard then rub. Also squirt the butt about every hour with a 2 to 1 mix of Apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Always end up with a nice bark. I use a Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain propane smoker.
 
Yes the bark is the crusty outside.

I prefer a rub for seasoning, as compared to a marinade so yes I rub, allow to season, slather. If you do it after I suggest mixing the rub and mustard for a marinade, add a little apple cider vinegar in there as well.
 
Bark is easy. Just turn up the temp a notch for the duration of the smoke.

Respectfully disagree on turning up the temp. Many do this to finish up the meat faster, but there is an expense.

While true any smoked meat will develop an outer bark, the thickness and consistency can/will vary. Just offering a suggestion...
 
I do mustard then rub. Also squirt the butt about every hour with a 2 to 1 mix of Apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Always end up with a nice bark. I use a Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain propane smoker.

Definitely agreed on mustard then rub then the apple juice+cider (though I often also use 2:2:1 juice:apfelwein:vinegar) every hour or two. Though I generally don't start doing the squirt it until after initial few hours of smoke are up.
 
I have tried both with and without the mustard and while there is very little difference I do prefer it without.
 
I find the mustard less important than a solid, even rub covering and the spritzing after your done with the initial smoke hit. To me the mustard is more like a safety net than a necessity.
 
new to brew maken , old guzzler though. I LOVE MY SMOKERS! try honeymustard & apple cider after the rub. 2 to 1 on the mustard & cider let it sink in for at least 12 hours. slow smoke to 165 internal temp. then kick it up to190-195 for the last hour. I use the same on kings on the grill.
 
Rinse, pat dry, slather with cheap yellow, then rub. 220 or so then ramp up to 250 at 10 hours. Cook till 190 or 200 internal. And use an BGE!
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Bingo!! Sugars will caramelize over the duration of the smoke, and mike a nice crispy bark.

+100 We cook competition BBQ and the real key to good bark is sugar. Yellow Mustard is just a glue to adhere your rub to whatever you are smoking. you will never taste the Mustard. The rubs we use on Pork contain alot of sugars so we can get that nice carmelization which is crucial to good bark. We have also been known to use brown or turbinado sugars.

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I'm lazy but lately I've been using Saltlik BBQ rub-spicy and that coupled with mesquite smoke!
 
Respectfully disagree on turning up the temp. Many do this to finish up the meat faster, but there is an expense.

While true any smoked meat will develop an outer bark, the thickness and consistency can/will vary. Just offering a suggestion...

Ok, I stand corrected. I learned something here.
 

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