The trick I saw with mustard on ribs before rub blew my mind 2 weeks ago

I watched a pitmaster in Kansas City slather yellow mustard all over St. Louis cut ribs then let them sit for 30 minutes before adding his rub, and the bark came out way darker and crispier than my usual oil method, has anyone else tried this binder trick on pork ribs?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice_palmer201mo ago

The 30 minute rest is key, I started doing that too. My first try I only let it sit 10 minutes and the bark was okay but not great. Then I let a rack sit for a full hour wrapped in plastic and the mustard really soaked in deep, the rub stuck way better and I got this dark mahogany crust that flaked off when I bit into it. I switched from French's to a spicy brown mustard and that added a little kick too. Just watch the salt content in your rub if you go heavy on the mustard because it can get salty fast.

murray.spencer1mo ago

I let mine sit for three hours once because I got distracted by a lawnmower repair video and completely forgot about the ribs. That was the best batch of meat I ever made but my wife was pretty sure I'd burned the house down when she came home. The mustard turned into this weird paste after that long, but somehow it all worked out. Salt creep is real though, I learned that lesson when my rub turned into a sodium brick on a rack of spare ribs. Nothing a bottle of beer can't fix while you're eating though.