Heard a guy at the Memphis in May contest say 'bark is just burnt seasoning'

I was waiting in line for ribs yesterday and this older competitor behind me said that to his buddy. He meant that if your rub has too much sugar, it just burns and you don't get real bark. My last brisket had a dark crust that tasted bitter, so maybe he's onto something. What's your method for building bark without just burning your rub?

3 comments

3 Comments

evana711mo ago

That guy's not wrong about sugar burning. Try using less brown sugar in your rub and spritzing with water or apple juice to keep the surface damp early on. You get that good bark without the bitter taste.

riley5951mo ago

Spritzing helps but you're still putting sugar in a hot box. The real move is swapping brown sugar for something like turbinado or even maple sugar. They burn at a higher temp so you get more time for the bark to set before the sugar even thinks about turning bitter. It's a total game changer for ribs and pork butt. Lets you keep that sweet flavor profile without babysitting the spritz bottle every 20 minutes.

grant.kevin6d ago

Turbinado is the move, for sure. It's got a bigger crystal structure so it doesn't melt down as fast, giving you a wider window before it starts to scorch. The real trick I found is mixing turbinado with just a tiny bit of brown sugar, like a 3 to 1 ratio. You get the molasses flavor from the brown sugar but the turbinado carries the heat better, so the bark sets up dark and crunchy instead of that acrid bitter layer. Misting with apple juice helps even more, but I only spritz once or twice after the first hour and then let it ride. The high sugar burn temp of turbinado means you're not chasing it with a water bottle every few minutes. It's basically a set it and forget it deal once you dial in that mix.