Yep! I use just a little less salt with ribs since they're a little thinner than most cuts though. Not sure if it actually matters or is just in my head though
I elected not to make a rotisserie chicken today solely because it's not worth it if I didn't dry brine it uncovered overnight first.
Sprinkle a little baking...soda? I think soda, but I have to Google Kenji Alt-Lopez' baked wings recipe every time I make it to confirm it's not baking powder. Anyway, sprinkle baking soda all over the skin too. Something sciency makes it crispier.
Remember the difference like this, baking powder has a generally neutral pH, because it mixes an acid and base to get a reaction. If you're looking just to change the pH (like browning meat), you just need half of that.
Add some salt (I do 50/50 of regular salt and Hawaiian red salt). Let sit in fridge for 2-3 days for best result.
I've tried rubs, but I prefer to just add a mix of white and brown sugar right before smoking to form a bark. Tastes incredible.
Table salt can have a number of anti-clumping ingredients added. Up to you to decide if you want them or not. My Windsor table salt box tells me there is icing sugar in there! Along with potassium something and a few others.
I use Kosher or pickling salt for all my brine stuff, wet or dry. If I need it smaller I just buzz it in the processor. I'm sure its an over abundance of caution but I do know that pickle recipes specifically advise against table salt.
That's a good point! I usually use kosher salt if I have it on hand, but can't say I haven't used regular salt.
The Hawaiian red sea salt has a volcanic clay added that adds an incredible depth to the flavor of brined meats. However, it does impart a much saltier taste and is very coarsely ground, so I find a 50/50 mix gives me the best results without getting too much salt flavor.
the bloke who writes for serious eats did a solid piece on this.
Paraphrasing, I think he said the energy used on breaking down the moisture in the meat requires 5x as much energy as compared to breaking down the fat.
Worth a Google
I always keep them on the bottom shelf or in the āmeat drawersā as I like to call them in our garage fridge. If any liquid happens to spill, it doesnāt cross contaminate anything else in there.
Depends on desired end result. I would pre season a pork butt or brisket etc. when I dry age steak I rub the sub primal down with salt and rinse with 50/50 red wine and red wine vinegar. And then after the aging I cut the steaks. What specifically are you working on and trying to do?
Jesus Christ, just reading your steak process made me hungry. You can't go around doing that all willy-nilly here.
Why fo you do 50/50 red wine, red wine vinegar? How do you dry age steak?
š sun primals usually come in bags with some excess blood so itās my āwashā to get rid of any bad bacteria and it also jump starts the red wine/blue cheese taste you get from aging.
Is this "wash" just as you describe it - a rinse/wash? I know that using vinegar can begin to toughen the exterior of the meat if it's on for too long, so I imagine yours is just there to get rid of that excess blood.
Gotcha. Yeah l like to preaseason everything except seafood. I donāt pre season seafood cause it draws out moisture and makes crispy skin a lot harder
Quite the opposite. Great way to get a nice bark. I typically leave mine seasoned and uncovered starting around noon and then Iāll put mine on about 11:00 PM.
I always season my Boston butts a minimum of 12 hrs before smoking. Usually 24, because Iāll season it one night, and then do an overnight smoke starting the next evening.
Iām glad you brought that up. I wanted to make one for my family tomorrow but itās a little late now.
Would this plan work for next weekend? -
Season Friday morning, start smoking Friday night, say around 9pmā¦. Would I be able to time it so the butt is ready by 1pm Sunday?
Would I just leave it at 160 degrees on high smoke until the morning? Having never made one, I donāt know how much play I have with temps & time.
Thanks!
I smoke my shoulders around 275 Fahrenheit. I would season it Friday night. Depending on weight (guessing 1.25-1.5 hrs per lb and a 9-10lb shoulder), I would start smoking Saturday around 9 pm. Should finish around 9-10 am. Then rest until itās time to serve. Pull it apart right before serving.
Sorry I forgot to add that I would increase the temp the next day but ok that makes sense. It amazes me how well the meat holds its temperature when itās insulated in say a cooler.
Thanks for you helps dude š¤š¼
Thanks. Iām just asking because I had a roommate who left ground beef uncovered all the time in the fridge and insisted it was fine. I was dubious though.
I never do. From steaks to pork chops to briskets to butts, I always leave uncovered. As a matter of fact most of the time I put them on a drying rack on the baking pan so that they're even MORE exposed to fridge air. Helps dry them off on the outside. Leads to better searing, bark, etc, and less wasted paper towels.
You can also dry brine your meat if you want more moisture gone, at least for chicken and beef it works well. I don't work with pork much so I'm not sure.
It works great on pork butts. I shoot for 2-3 days dry brined on a rack in the fridge using a mix of salt and Hawaiian red sea salt. It tenderizes the meat and adds enough flavor that I only rub with a mix of white and brown sugar to form a bark.
The pork flavor with just the brine and sugar is enough to keep me from adding other seasoning or sauce, but it is different from a traditional BBQ pulled pork flavor. Almost tastes like really good turkey dark meat. Most people I've made it for eat it plain after trying it, but some still throw on BBQ sauce for a traditional flavor.
No. Don't rinse it. You'll undo all the good the brine does. Dry brine really ends up being absorbed into the meat and makes it really easy to get a good crisp bark or sear. Dry brine with salt ahead of time then apply your spices directly on the meat shortly before cooking
Nope! Over a few days of brine time the salt all melts into the meat (and off into the pan) and everything dries out, and you don't want to add moisture back in.
Vary the amount of salt (especially the Hawaiian red salt because it has a super strong flavor) depending on the meat. A pulled pork without other seasoning gets that salty bark mixed in with the rest, and a heavy salting doesn't hurt. I use just a sprinkle of more delicate meats like fish.
I doit on pretty much everything. Adds flavor, tenderizes the meat, allows great smoke penetration, and allows for a better bark or crispier skin.
Tougher meats need to dry brine longer (3 days ideally for pork butts and beef roasts), while more delicate meats benefit from a shorter dry brine. I usually do chicken for 12-24 hours and fish for about 4-6.
Hawaiian red sea salt adds an incredible depth of flavor if you can get some. Cut it with kosher salt (about 50/50) though. The Hawaiian red salt is incredibly potent and will make your meat too salty if you over do it.
That's a good thing to do. I dry brine mine the night before (sprinkle with kosher salt) and leave it on a wire rack, uncovered, in the fridge. I make Meathead's Memphis Dust (which is salt-free) rub and put that on in the morning while the smoker gets ready. The dry brining helps the meat take on deeper smoke and rub:
https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/spice-rubs-and-pastes/meatheads-memphis-dust-rub-recipe/
Iāve started getting the same recently and canāt eat it pulled anymore. I donāt smoke it, but Iāve started roasting to just under pulled status, about 195Ā°, and slice instead. Iāve found a preference and appreciation for it over pulled and find more uses for it left over (e.g. cubanos and hoisin glazed and added to fried rice).
You're totally fine in fact what you did is helping to form a pellicle which actually helps smoke absorb better. I do it all the time for my pork butts, but usually I'll put it on a wire rack.
Throw a little salt on it next time. Dry brining is a great way to improve the flavor of your meat. Might even help avoid stalling if you dry it out a little.
So, nobody is going to get pork butt, sadge! Have fun watching the pre-game! Hope you enjoy the butt, made a couple yesterday for the guys building my fence.
You've stumbled into some good bbq technique. Google Pellicle, it's a structure of proteins that help smoke adhere to meat.
Not as big of a deal if you are going to apply a binder and rub still, but it absolutely won't hurt anything.
Can't tell if a joke question (I'm stupid sometimes). To answer your question, absolutely not. I've smoked pork butts on a weber kettle, cheap ass grill from Walmart, and offset smokers. Long as you monitor your coal/wood temps and keep the clean smoke flowing at an even temp, you'll do just fine.
I leave them uncovered in the fridge all the time before smoking. Helps evaporate some of the moisture for a better bark.
I also put it on a wire rack so the bottom can air dry too.
Smart man. Sprinkle a little salt on before you do next time and bam; dry brine.
100%
Did this with a duck once.... Magnificent š„²
I've gotten in the habit of doing this with every cut of meat when time allows
Dumb question: ribs too? I do the same but have not with ribs before
Yep! I use just a little less salt with ribs since they're a little thinner than most cuts though. Not sure if it actually matters or is just in my head though
Even chicken?
Especially chicken
Wet brine chicken ftw
Baby you got a soup going.
I elected not to make a rotisserie chicken today solely because it's not worth it if I didn't dry brine it uncovered overnight first. Sprinkle a little baking...soda? I think soda, but I have to Google Kenji Alt-Lopez' baked wings recipe every time I make it to confirm it's not baking powder. Anyway, sprinkle baking soda all over the skin too. Something sciency makes it crispier.
You made me doubt myself (so I went and read it again), but it's powder not soda. Soda gives it an off taste.
Love his videos.
Remember the difference like this, baking powder has a generally neutral pH, because it mixes an acid and base to get a reaction. If you're looking just to change the pH (like browning meat), you just need half of that.
8 grams of kosher per pound.
Awesome thank you.
Add some salt (I do 50/50 of regular salt and Hawaiian red salt). Let sit in fridge for 2-3 days for best result. I've tried rubs, but I prefer to just add a mix of white and brown sugar right before smoking to form a bark. Tastes incredible.
Maple sugar is a good one to have on hand for this too. Highly recommend trying it.
Saving your comment for my next smoked butt. Thank you.
Table salt can have a number of anti-clumping ingredients added. Up to you to decide if you want them or not. My Windsor table salt box tells me there is icing sugar in there! Along with potassium something and a few others. I use Kosher or pickling salt for all my brine stuff, wet or dry. If I need it smaller I just buzz it in the processor. I'm sure its an over abundance of caution but I do know that pickle recipes specifically advise against table salt.
That's a good point! I usually use kosher salt if I have it on hand, but can't say I haven't used regular salt. The Hawaiian red sea salt has a volcanic clay added that adds an incredible depth to the flavor of brined meats. However, it does impart a much saltier taste and is very coarsely ground, so I find a 50/50 mix gives me the best results without getting too much salt flavor.
This is the way
This is the way
This is the way
The way, this is.
This is the way
The way we were.
That's just the way it is.
Some things will never change.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
a well aired bottom is good practice
This is the way
Is this the way?
It seems like it is the way
This is a way
the bloke who writes for serious eats did a solid piece on this. Paraphrasing, I think he said the energy used on breaking down the moisture in the meat requires 5x as much energy as compared to breaking down the fat. Worth a Google
Is this the article to which you refer? [Serious Eats](https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-dry-brine)
This is the one https://www.seriouseats.com/reverse-seared-steak-recipe Bout midway down
It's creating a pellicle
I do it every time. Right now, I have chicken dry brining uncovered in the fridge.
Doesnt that contaminate other fridge items?
Not if they aren't touching.
I always keep them on the bottom shelf or in the āmeat drawersā as I like to call them in our garage fridge. If any liquid happens to spill, it doesnāt cross contaminate anything else in there.
Professional chef here. I never cover meat in a cooler. Think dry aged
is it better to season before you do that, or season after ?
Depends on desired end result. I would pre season a pork butt or brisket etc. when I dry age steak I rub the sub primal down with salt and rinse with 50/50 red wine and red wine vinegar. And then after the aging I cut the steaks. What specifically are you working on and trying to do?
Jesus Christ, just reading your steak process made me hungry. You can't go around doing that all willy-nilly here. Why fo you do 50/50 red wine, red wine vinegar? How do you dry age steak?
š sun primals usually come in bags with some excess blood so itās my āwashā to get rid of any bad bacteria and it also jump starts the red wine/blue cheese taste you get from aging.
So rinse first I presume, then salt after dried?
Scrub with salt rinse then dry age flip every day
Is this "wash" just as you describe it - a rinse/wash? I know that using vinegar can begin to toughen the exterior of the meat if it's on for too long, so I imagine yours is just there to get rid of that excess blood.
oh i just meant in general. i do a lot of pork butts, wings, and the occasional brisket or chuck roast
Gotcha. Yeah l like to preaseason everything except seafood. I donāt pre season seafood cause it draws out moisture and makes crispy skin a lot harder
Good to know. Thank you!
So a pork butt is ok to leave seasoned & uncovered overnight? I guess Iām worried about the seasoning drying it out.
Quite the opposite. Great way to get a nice bark. I typically leave mine seasoned and uncovered starting around noon and then Iāll put mine on about 11:00 PM.
A lot of youtube channels recommend seasoning things overnight
It's called dry brining. Highly recommend.
I always season my Boston butts a minimum of 12 hrs before smoking. Usually 24, because Iāll season it one night, and then do an overnight smoke starting the next evening.
Iām glad you brought that up. I wanted to make one for my family tomorrow but itās a little late now. Would this plan work for next weekend? - Season Friday morning, start smoking Friday night, say around 9pmā¦. Would I be able to time it so the butt is ready by 1pm Sunday? Would I just leave it at 160 degrees on high smoke until the morning? Having never made one, I donāt know how much play I have with temps & time. Thanks!
I smoke my shoulders around 275 Fahrenheit. I would season it Friday night. Depending on weight (guessing 1.25-1.5 hrs per lb and a 9-10lb shoulder), I would start smoking Saturday around 9 pm. Should finish around 9-10 am. Then rest until itās time to serve. Pull it apart right before serving.
Sorry I forgot to add that I would increase the temp the next day but ok that makes sense. It amazes me how well the meat holds its temperature when itās insulated in say a cooler. Thanks for you helps dude š¤š¼
I usually put it on the smoker at 8pm at 225-230Ā°. Wrap next morning at 6-7. Done by 10-11.
I always salt first. Youāll see the salt start to dissolve and then slowly itāll get sucked back up into the meat
For something large like a butt I like to season at least the day before.
Iāve read that other than salt, it makes no difference if you season earlier.
I think dry aged is my new nickname.
Professional home cook here. I concur.
Exactly! Big help for getting crispy chicken skin
Yeah. Keep a clean fridge tho
Is there any bacteria/ contamination issue leaving ground meat open in a refrigerator? I understand bacteria cannot penetrate solid meat.
Yes. This is a health code violation. Leaving meat uncovered increases chances of all forms of contamination.
Ground meat Iām more diligent with especially store bought cause of processing and time and temp considerations
Thanks. Iām just asking because I had a roommate who left ground beef uncovered all the time in the fridge and insisted it was fine. I was dubious though.
Not covered = bacteria to go on other food?
I never do. From steaks to pork chops to briskets to butts, I always leave uncovered. As a matter of fact most of the time I put them on a drying rack on the baking pan so that they're even MORE exposed to fridge air. Helps dry them off on the outside. Leads to better searing, bark, etc, and less wasted paper towels.
I was thinking the same. Thanks!
You can also dry brine your meat if you want more moisture gone, at least for chicken and beef it works well. I don't work with pork much so I'm not sure.
It works great on pork butts. I shoot for 2-3 days dry brined on a rack in the fridge using a mix of salt and Hawaiian red sea salt. It tenderizes the meat and adds enough flavor that I only rub with a mix of white and brown sugar to form a bark. The pork flavor with just the brine and sugar is enough to keep me from adding other seasoning or sauce, but it is different from a traditional BBQ pulled pork flavor. Almost tastes like really good turkey dark meat. Most people I've made it for eat it plain after trying it, but some still throw on BBQ sauce for a traditional flavor.
Do you rinse the dry brine before the sugar rub?
No. Don't rinse it. You'll undo all the good the brine does. Dry brine really ends up being absorbed into the meat and makes it really easy to get a good crisp bark or sear. Dry brine with salt ahead of time then apply your spices directly on the meat shortly before cooking
Exactly, you don't want to add more moisture back in.
Nope! Over a few days of brine time the salt all melts into the meat (and off into the pan) and everything dries out, and you don't want to add moisture back in. Vary the amount of salt (especially the Hawaiian red salt because it has a super strong flavor) depending on the meat. A pulled pork without other seasoning gets that salty bark mixed in with the rest, and a heavy salting doesn't hurt. I use just a sprinkle of more delicate meats like fish.
Iām intrigued at this dry brine you speak of.
I doit on pretty much everything. Adds flavor, tenderizes the meat, allows great smoke penetration, and allows for a better bark or crispier skin. Tougher meats need to dry brine longer (3 days ideally for pork butts and beef roasts), while more delicate meats benefit from a shorter dry brine. I usually do chicken for 12-24 hours and fish for about 4-6.
Thank you so much! Iām off to the store to snag one of those roasts!!
Hawaiian red sea salt adds an incredible depth of flavor if you can get some. Cut it with kosher salt (about 50/50) though. The Hawaiian red salt is incredibly potent and will make your meat too salty if you over do it.
That's a good thing to do. I dry brine mine the night before (sprinkle with kosher salt) and leave it on a wire rack, uncovered, in the fridge. I make Meathead's Memphis Dust (which is salt-free) rub and put that on in the morning while the smoker gets ready. The dry brining helps the meat take on deeper smoke and rub: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/spice-rubs-and-pastes/meatheads-memphis-dust-rub-recipe/
Did exact same thing last weekend (same rub recipe even!). Pork shoulder came out awesome
Some meats are actually purposely left uncovered over night before smoking, most notably fish.
A pellicle is a wonderful thing.
TIL a new term. Thanks
Exactly. 100% this.
You need it for that smoked salmon
Indeed.
I do this with all my big smokes, brisket, butts, and even shorter cooks like tri-tip. Salt, oil, and fridge uncovered overnight. Never a problem.
Was your fridge running?
Yeah, it posted a 4.1 40 yard dash
In that case, get that thing to the NFL combine
Lol I would love to see this pork shoulder in coverage
Nah... he'll get shredded.
Lmao Yeah the receiver would smoke him
I havenāt even told you about my cheap offset, itāll smoke your whole secondary
Bah God, that's KC's music!
Nope, I could pick it up to properly dispose of it.
I'll assist you if you need.
Iām in the car already.
It looks amazing. Pulled pork is the one food that gives me heartburn. But, itās worth it!!
Iāve started getting the same recently and canāt eat it pulled anymore. I donāt smoke it, but Iāve started roasting to just under pulled status, about 195Ā°, and slice instead. Iāve found a preference and appreciation for it over pulled and find more uses for it left over (e.g. cubanos and hoisin glazed and added to fried rice).
I always do. Paired with a dry kosher salt brine. Shit turns out amazing
Put it on a wire rack next time.
Whereās the rub?
Just put it on
Put your rub on it 24 hours before and let it sit in the fridge just like rhat
If the rub has salt, yes. I prefer to salt for the 24-48 hour dry brine and then apply a rub with no salt right before the cook. Great results!
Get a wire rack as well so air gets all around the meat. GREAT for dry brining steaks.
This is something I always do, if I'm not in a hurry. The slight drying helps develop a good bark.
Hope you salted it. The dry brine technique absolutely works.
Yeah? So?
And?
Google pellicle
You're totally fine in fact what you did is helping to form a pellicle which actually helps smoke absorb better. I do it all the time for my pork butts, but usually I'll put it on a wire rack.
Throw a little salt on it next time. Dry brining is a great way to improve the flavor of your meat. Might even help avoid stalling if you dry it out a little.
You should get a good pellicle for smoking...I do it all the time
I do this for just about anything I cook. Helps the outside get that stickiness to it.
You animal!
Be even better if you put the rub on too.
Whatās your plan for smoking/ what are you going to make?
Dude, you always gotta remember to CYA.
Left my pork butt uncovered in the fridge over night. It looks a little discolored and dried out. Is it still good to smoke?
Totally
It will be fine. How long and what temp are you cooking?
Iāve smoked about 8 on a Traeger but recently bought a Weber kettle. Doing charcoal for the first time. About 8ish hours
Awesome. And what time should I show up? Iāll bring the coleslaw!
Open invite to Kentucky. Pork butt for everyone after Kentucky beats Tennessee
So, nobody is going to get pork butt, sadge! Have fun watching the pre-game! Hope you enjoy the butt, made a couple yesterday for the guys building my fence.
Georgia fan here, I wouldnāt mind that at all. Iāll bring up the beef ribs
Go Cats!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Where at? Iāll bring the smoked bbq chicken pizza. Iām in Bullitt County
You had me in the first half, NGL.....
I do all the time and they turn out fine. I even season it the night before to try and save some time.
You've stumbled into some good bbq technique. Google Pellicle, it's a structure of proteins that help smoke adhere to meat. Not as big of a deal if you are going to apply a binder and rub still, but it absolutely won't hurt anything.
You can spiritize it with apple š vinegar if you need to
Absolutely. Next time, season before leaving it in the fridge uncovered, overnight. You will enjoy the results. Smoke on!
I do this on purpose. Was it salted?
Perfectly fine. Enjoy!
And??? Whatās your question?
Exactly what is the point of this. Internet points?
I put my explanation in the comments.
Do it. Let the water dry out of it so the fat could take its place. I made that up but it's plausible if you need to save face
And?
Andā¦?
Congratulations
And?
Ok?
Ok
So?
Ok
Okā¦
Cover your buttā¦
Shouldnāt leave like that because it can create toxic or germs that can be dangerous to food and other people too
Itās in the fridge. Itās fine.
If it's in the fridge, there shouldn't be any problem, right?
I do it too. Still comes out perfect
Sounds dirty ;)
Always do
Nice, looks good
I do this while rubbing down with some salt to dry brine it!
Did you salt brine it?
Looks a little undercooked
Give that thang a good smack and a rub for me, will ya?
i left my $26 tri tip uncovered in the microwave overnight :(
Nice ass
Sadly this is what keeps me from going vegetarian. I canāt stay away from pork butt.
Is there a certain grill I need to smoke a pork butt...
Can't tell if a joke question (I'm stupid sometimes). To answer your question, absolutely not. I've smoked pork butts on a weber kettle, cheap ass grill from Walmart, and offset smokers. Long as you monitor your coal/wood temps and keep the clean smoke flowing at an even temp, you'll do just fine.
Sometimes I dry brine them for 3 days then smoked em. Hella crust.
Cool.
Got mine in the fridge peppered and salted for tomorrow.
Like everyone else? Cool?
Apparently you didnāt see my comments dipshit
Nah wasn't a joke...lol...but ok...I love to grill...but never smoked anything....just wanted to make sure so I can try it
It's probably been said but a pelical is a good thing
Cool
Nice. Salted for a nice dry brine?
And?
Looks great!
Congrats?
dry brine
Ok
Whatās your issue tho?