Mustard Question

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ddog27

Sous Chef
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
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544
Location
Queen Creek, AZ
Last night I was watching some BBQ shows I have on Tivo. One of the guys was talking about how he puts honey mustard on his pork shoulders before he adds the rub. I put mustard on before I add rub but I always use cheapo yellow mustard. Do you think that using honey mustard or another kind of mustard would add any extra flavor to the meat? I might want to do some experimenting in the future. But tell me what you guys think.
 
I have coated meats before rubbing in worcestershire, Reverend Marvins BBQ Sauce, and haven't tasted even the faintest of flavors after the meat is done. I think you may have the same results with honey mustard........
 
If it adds any significant flavor I've missed it too!

Like the others I've also used other things, Worcestershire sauce, soy, Teriyaki, olive oil, Dijon or Brown mustard, butter milk, cider vinegar, beer.

And there are subtle flavor differences, but is that down to the slather or to the different rubs or injections that I used at the same time, my personal opinion is that if you inject with any one or combination of these, there will be a significant flavor boost, if you just slather the outside, (and not allow long enough to marinate), most of the time you will not change the flavor...
















But at least your rub will stick! :LOL: Which is after all the real reason I like to use a slather.
 
I saw that show and tried honey mustard on some ribs. Didn't make a difference at all.
 
My first BBQ class was from Paul Kirk. He used to do classes for about 10 -12 people back in the late 1980s. Mine was an all-nighter in Russel, Kansas. His next class was not for months and we were hot to join in the BBQ competitions. It was worth the drive from KC. He was a hotel chef at the time, but big in KCBS.

He coats everything with French's yellow mustard to adhere the rub. I always do too. He felt the mustard was a flavor enhancer, and the mustard taste does disappear.

My guess about the honey is that the honey would break down and lose it's character adding only slight sweetness.

A friend, who used to be a member of our BBQ team, now in Vegas, went to Paul Kirk's RUB restaurant at the Rio yesterday. Sandwiches were $18 with one side, and a slab of St. Louis style ribs was $36. He was not that impressed, except with the Baked Beans which were great. The beans had a big brisket and smoke flavor.

Steve
 
I used to use french's mustard all the time but I too came to the conclusion that it did nothing to the end product with respect to flavour. I found it gave the bark more thickness , in a way, but the bark seemed to fall off the meat easier. I decided that it was better to add flavour through rub by adding it directly to the meat than to add flavour to mustard. I just can not see putting the rub on mustard as the rub seasoning would have to penetrate the mustard than the meat instead of going directly into the meat quicker.

everyone is different and nobody is wrong as it is their own personal opinion. I for one just add the rub to the meat. ok once in a while a bit of maple syrup first can not hurt. Canadian thing

Tim
 
BBQcure said:
I used to use french's mustard all the time but I too came to the conclusion that it did nothing to the end product with respect to flavour.

The next time I do two of anything, I will leave the mustard off of one. I went through a period where I used other, or no stuff, to adhere the rub, but I am making a better end product now. So many of the thing I do now are different that I need to run some more tests.

I need to get a couple butts from the wholesale club and try it out, side by side.

Steve
 
surfinsapo said:
Mustard only helps the rub adhere...
Quite right. And since there are alternatives to mustard for this it isn't at all required.

Notwithstanding Kirk's claims, using mustard on the meat will not enhance flavors. It can't. Applying heat to mustard inactivates the enzyme that is responsible for mustard's pungency and flavor (and that is only activated in the first place if the seeds are ground and mixed with water or a liquid of neutral pH) which pretty much destroys most of its flavor. This is why most mustard sauces are uncooked and why cooked mustard sauces are so devoid of mustard flavor if they are cooked for any period of time, considering the amount of mustard most contain (one mostly tastes the vinegar or other ingredients). This is also why I never put ground mustard in rubs. First, without the presence of water, ground mustard has virtually no flavor. Second, though the meat's surface might be or become moist enough to activate the mustard's enzymes, the heat of cooking will stop the development then essentially reverse it. It's a waste.

Much of the flavor and nearly all of the nutritional value of honey is also destroyed by heat. Time (how long honey is heated) and temp (how high) are the key variables. If you want to add honey flavor to your meat it's best to do so after via a sauce (don't overheat when making it) or, more simply, by sprinkling powdered dehydrated honey on the meat's surface just before serving.
 
Dang all the exspurts sure hovering around on this mustard discussion. Course everybody knows expurts is simply folks who are at least a hundred miles away from home whilst carryiing a briefcase. Now the briefcase can contain only peanut butter sandwiches. Who knows? They still collect the fee.

bigwheel
 
Steve78412 said:
BBQcure said:
I used to use french's mustard all the time but I too came to the conclusion that it did nothing to the end product with respect to flavour.

The next time I do two of anything, I will leave the mustard off of one. I went through a period where I used other, or no stuff, to adhere the rub, but I am making a better end product now. So many of the thing I do now are different that I need to run some more tests.

I need to get a couple butts from the wholesale club and try it out, side by side.

Steve

Thats the real test Steve. I done it once & could just barely taste a differnce. The mustard butt had a slight twang, not mustard like though.
I just wrench em with water & apply rub
 
Stogie said:
Why waste perfectly good mustard for a slather?

I agree with everyone else that you cannot taste it in the finished product.

So, that leaves the only reason, helps to hold the rub on. Are you kidding me? Every try water? LOL I have never, ever had a problem with meat being too dry to NOT hold a rub on. If so, a litlte water on the hands and rub it over the meat.

DRBBQ once told me he doesn't like to use oil as a rub holder......he wants nothing to come between the meat and his rub. I said, "makes sense to me Doc!"

As for forming a bark, never had a hard time forming a bark without mustard.

So, with all this, why bother?

That's my OPINION and I'm stickin to it!!

Right with you Stogie! Since rub has salt in it, it immediately starts to draw water out of the meat. I NEVER use anything to "hold rub on" the meat. As you should notice, once you apply the rub, it should start turning into a wet paste within a minute or so. I tried mustard once and got so covered in the stuff, I decided never to do it again. I guess it is fun to try different stuff and see how it tastes, but nothing works just fine!
 
I agree...mustard is a waste of time and money unless it's going on hot dogs or brats. Besides, good meat, a good rub and some one that knows what they're doing don't need any extra help!!!
 

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