Behind the Wall of Meat
September 18, 2006 – 5:56 pm
My Uncle Jim’s preferred method of smoking ribs involves the application of a dry rub to the meat approximately 24 hours prior to cooking. Some of you know quite well what a rub is, and some of you do not. A rub is, quite simply, a dry or wet mixture of herbs, spices and seasonings applied to deepen and enhance the flavor and texture of meat, fish or poultry. In the case of the ribs pictured, Uncle Jim used a rub recipe obtained from a barbecue expert in Aureola, Missouri (where, incidentally, it’s always dark in the middle of town).
Uncle Jim typically makes a large batch of spice rub every few months rather than mix what he needs every time he barbecues. I applaud this sort of preparedness. And I have my own ideas about dry spice rubs and American-style smoked meat, so I’m happy to provide you with one of my own rub-and-smoke recipes.
Herein lies the rub:
2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dried thyme leaves (recently dried from fresh is preferable)
1/4 cup hot paprika
1/8 cup ground black pepper
1/2 nutmeg seed, grated
1 cinnamon stick, ground
Blend these to a fine dust in a food processor at least one day prior to use to allow the essential oils and flavor compounds of the spices to mingle. Coat the ribs evenly and generously with the mixture, lay them in a baking pan, seal the pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and hide it in the refrigerator for three days. The high concentration of salt in this highly unconventional rub will actually begin to cure the meat and seal the warm spice flavors deeply within.
Now comes the fire:
If you can get your hands on plenty of whole aromatic logs for smoking, I recommend building a fire from these rather than dumping wet wood chips on charcoal embers. As for your choice of wood, consider that hickory can overpower spice flavors and be a bit cloying after long hours of smoking. Hickory is dickory, but I find that I can barely taste anything else when I use it. So, if you wish to blend subtle spice and smoke flavors, I recommend something more delicate like apple or cherry wood.
There’s no hard, fast rule for the time needed to smoke a meat completely. It depends on the amount of smoke flavor desired, the thickness of the meat and the temperature of the cooking environment. I will say that in addition to love, time is perhaps the most important ingredient in any food I cook. I once smoked a single pheasant for sixteen hours. Some sausages and cured meats are smoked at intervals for months during colder weather. Relax. Be patient and allow yourself the freedom to experiment. As with anything you cook, learn and and make adjustments based on what you taste in the finished dish. Play with your food.
In the unfortunate event that you’re looking for exactitudes…
If you use the rub recipe and demi-cure method above, give whole slabs of ribs approximately twelve hours of very slow, warm smoke. You’ll want to maintain a temperature of 180-200 degrees Farenheit in the smoking chamber and keep the meat well away from the glowing coals. Remove them from the chamber, wrap them in aluminum foil and allow them to rest for an hour. You may reheat them gently in a slow oven (or cook them a bit longer) prior to serving if desired, but I find that I’m able to taste the wood and spice in warm or room temperature meat as opposed to piping hot.
