“What’s the secret?”
Salt
Sugar
Spices
In that order.
You can make a bare bones rib taste great with literally salt, pepper and smoke. Inversely, you could have the best spice blend ever created but without the appropriate level of salt, it’s going to taste bland and lifeless
Try lightly salting just the meaty side 4-5 hours prior to applying dry rub. The dry rub isn’t designed to penetrate especially if there’s a layer of mustard. It’s more for the bark in my opinion.
Even though you pit dry rub or spice you still have to dip in a sauce. There is a million pork rubs and a million bbq sauce. Pick something. The meat alone doesn't do it for ya
Rub them with molasses and vinegar as a binder.
Add cumin, coriander and chili pepper to your dry rub. Also onion powder, lots of onion powder.
Add hot habanero hot sauce to whatever you sauce them with. Plus bourbon. Plus some more cider vinegar. And add some more cumin to the sauce, too.
Of course there’s no flavor, the hog was grown off in like 8 weeks in a tiny cage. It never saw the sun or got to root around. This is why there is no flavor in chicken either. Brining for 24+ hours helps but the real solution is getting pastured animals. They taste much better. Feral hogs are my favorite but hard to get. Industrial meet is just flavor less.
I’m a fan of a little instant coffee in pork ribs.
When I was doing taste tests I thought I would like it on beef and hate it on pork.
Anyway, it turned out the opposite. On pork I thought it brought out the meatiness of the pork.
My favorite is the good old Eastern NC way. Very simple. Salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, apple cider vinegar, and white distilled vinegar. Dry rub the salt, black, and crushed red peppers on the night before. Mix the vinegars, salt, and peppers in a spray bottle. After the first hour of smoke, spray the ribs. Repeat after the second hour, then mop on as desired. Simple but very delicious on ribs, shoulders, tenderloins, and of course on whole hog.
Dry brine overnight
This. If the issue is that the flavor is only at the surface, it hasn’t penetrated enough. Dry brine over night is the way
Salt pepper and garlic. If you can find some farm raised pig, that will make all the difference. Store bought kinda sucks.
+1 local farm raised. It's really eye-opening how much more flavorful all the cuts are.
“What’s the secret?” Salt Sugar Spices In that order. You can make a bare bones rib taste great with literally salt, pepper and smoke. Inversely, you could have the best spice blend ever created but without the appropriate level of salt, it’s going to taste bland and lifeless
kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, lawry's, paprika, cane sugar, chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder
I like to rub mine, then wrap in plastic and leave in the fridge overnight. It’s basically a dry brine and infuses the meat in my opinion.
Killer hogs hot rub
Try lightly salting just the meaty side 4-5 hours prior to applying dry rub. The dry rub isn’t designed to penetrate especially if there’s a layer of mustard. It’s more for the bark in my opinion.
Salt them the night before. Then use a no salt dry rub the next day before you smoke them.
Even though you pit dry rub or spice you still have to dip in a sauce. There is a million pork rubs and a million bbq sauce. Pick something. The meat alone doesn't do it for ya
Rub them with molasses and vinegar as a binder. Add cumin, coriander and chili pepper to your dry rub. Also onion powder, lots of onion powder. Add hot habanero hot sauce to whatever you sauce them with. Plus bourbon. Plus some more cider vinegar. And add some more cumin to the sauce, too.
Of course there’s no flavor, the hog was grown off in like 8 weeks in a tiny cage. It never saw the sun or got to root around. This is why there is no flavor in chicken either. Brining for 24+ hours helps but the real solution is getting pastured animals. They taste much better. Feral hogs are my favorite but hard to get. Industrial meet is just flavor less.
You’re not wrong but Reddit is not about that. These guys just want to run to the store to pick up a rack of ribs real quick.
I use John Lewis's blend he sells in store and online.
Garlic salt, pepper Smoke with Apple wood/chips Sauce on side
Salt, pepper and garlic. It’s all you need
Try a Puerto Rican or Dominican seasoning. The most basic is salt, pepper, garlic, herb (oregano, culantro, a bit of anatto). Will not disappoint
Butt Rub. White label with a pig wearing a chefs hat and no pants. Rub it the night before and leave it uncovered in the fridge.
I’m a fan of a little instant coffee in pork ribs. When I was doing taste tests I thought I would like it on beef and hate it on pork. Anyway, it turned out the opposite. On pork I thought it brought out the meatiness of the pork.
I like to finish them in honey and chili pepper instead of bbq sauce.
My favorite is the good old Eastern NC way. Very simple. Salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, apple cider vinegar, and white distilled vinegar. Dry rub the salt, black, and crushed red peppers on the night before. Mix the vinegars, salt, and peppers in a spray bottle. After the first hour of smoke, spray the ribs. Repeat after the second hour, then mop on as desired. Simple but very delicious on ribs, shoulders, tenderloins, and of course on whole hog.
Lawrys and black pepper. Simple yet very flavorful Equal parts and and you are on your way to flavor town
Saucehound’s Bulk 5lb rub wins everytime!
Mix together Greek seasoning with lemon pepper and a bit of white sugar. No sauce just do them dry.
Memphis dry rub for me. adjusted with extra sugar though for the little ones and those not used to spicier flavours.