I recently posted a thread on Authentic Texas Barbecued Brisket (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12061.0 ). It was basically photos to go along with a brisket recipe I posted some time ago (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=532). As I reviewed the photos, I felt there needed to be an additional explanation concerning the mustard slather on the briskets. The briskets looked bright yellow as if thickly covered with mustard. They were, in fact, lightly slathered so that the meat texture and color is visible under the thin film. The mustard is probably no thicker than half a wooden pencil lead in the thickest areas. They may look more yellow due to most photos being taken on the fat cap side which is white. Later photos show the final result. There is a dark bark and no sign of the mustard.
(http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac287/Ofrazier01/IMGP0701.jpg)
You can see the meat through this coating on the lean side.
I first saw a mustard slather used on a large ham hung from an eight foot log tripod over an open coal fire. My initial thought was "What a waste of meat". Hours later, dinner was served and it was delicious. The ham had developed a beautiful dark amber bark and did not taste anything like mustard. This old dog can learn a new trick so I started studying mustard slathers.
I admit to being overly studious when I become interested in a subject. After a long education process, I realized that a mustard slather is really only limited by the imagination. Bourbon, tequila, beer, coffee, tea, soft drinks, Worchestershire sauce, hot sauce, mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, peppers, spices, herbs, pickle juice, soy sauce, wine, brown sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, apple juice, pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, grape jelly, ketchup, lemonade powder, horseradish, honey, barbecue sauces, vinegar, etc. etc. etc. are mixed with every variety of mustard known to man and lightly painted or patted onto the meat.
I also like to be educated as to the science or mechanics that causes a certain practice to be successful. The theory is that this slather helps to tenderize the meat when combined with vinegar in the mustard and other added ingredients. Mustard is made of mustard flour, vinegar and other ingredients. Science tells us that the enzymes in the mustard flour breaks down collagen that acts as connective tissue in meats. Vinegar is an acid. When exposed to acid collagen is softened to gelatin. The collagen fibers exhibit swelling and retain more water. This opens the meat up to accept the flavors of the rub. Therefore, mustard slather reacts with meat using two distinct properties; enzymes and acids. The slather also aids in moisture retention and flavor absorption. This produces a flavorful, moist and tender meat. At the same time, it produces a nice crust or bark on the meat. This stuff sounds like a miracle drug for a Q'er.
Does the mustard leave a taste? Not a mustard flavor. It leaves a more intense bark flavor and a thicker crust or bark. If you have smoked very long, you have probably used or tasted vinegar mop or baste. I think of mustard as an extension of this type baste only the mustard adheres to the meat for the entire smoke without repeated mopping. Other benefits are not having to mop early before the rub and bark start to firm up prevents washing the rub off. Opening the Bradley often to mop increases the cooking time due to slow heat recovery. After the bark firms up and the meat has obtained a decent temperature a mop, baste or spritz can be applied to build up a layered bark without washing the firmed bark off and heat recovery is faster. The door is being opened for other checks anyway later in the smoke.
(http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac287/Ofrazier01/bisket100.jpg)
Lean side of finished brisket. It is tender and moist on the inside.
I use mustard slathers with success on brisket, ribs, ham, loins, chicken, goat and fish. The longer the smoke, the more character it develops. Thin meats like ribs turn out perfect and moist even though I do not foil during the cooking process. Cabrito is improved tremendously.
If you haven't tried mustard slather, give it a chance and see how it turns out on your next smoke. Make the slather your own by adding your favorite ingredients. Don't be surprised if you get winning smiles from your guests because mustard slathers have been instrumental in winning many major smoking competitions. A word of advice, don't tell anyone what the bark is until they have tasted it. This may become one more bullet in your smoking arsenal.
Good luck and slow smoking.
Pachanga
Other brisket threads.
Brisket Pachanga
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=532
Photos to go with the recipe
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12061.0
I Prefer to Smoke Totally Naked - A Brisket and Ribs Manifesto
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12455.0
So your brisket doesn't fit - solution here
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=13080.0
How do you make burnt ends?
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=14065.0
To Mop or Not to Mop – That is the Question
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=14240.0
Calling All Mop Recipes
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=14446.0
Thats a good explanation, you should have been a school teacher.
I use the CYM on quite a few things my self.
Well put!! That's a great write up on Mustard Slathers Pachanga
WOWSERS
YUMM Looks great
nepas
I'm in your camp, Pachanga. The mustard doesn't really impart any flavor and it helps the rub stick better. Definitely leaves a nice crust! I've only used it on ribs and pork butt so far, but results have been great on both.
Here's a pork butt I did the other day - mustard rubdown, applied rub, no foil.
(http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3217/img7552.jpg)
(http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2595/img7573y.jpg)
(http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/3887/img7612x.jpg)
Pachanga, Monty... I am soo hungry.
Excellant jobs
HR
Use mustard slather on everything except fish and fowl.
Will the use of a spicy brown mustard , Jack Daniel or Jim Beam mustard or deli mustard instead of a yellow mustard make a difference in the outcome?
Ray
Rdevous,
The mustard will still perform its magical enzyme and acid trick on the brisket. The spicy brown will be like additional ingredients to a rub. I have blended spicy brown with plain yellow and it was very good. One way to test your taste buds is to do a half and half mixture on a brisket and then step it up to full spicy brown on the next one if you like the first outcome.
Either way, you are going to get a great product.
Let me know the results.
See you around the pit. Good luck and slow smoking.
Pachanga
So you apply the mustard 1st then the rub?
Monty,
Thanks for helping extol the virtues of a mustard slather. Your photos exhibit a work of art. That is one beautiful bark you have produced. What is in the rub if you don't mind me asking?
You have inspired me to think about a pork butt or ham beside the brined turkey on Thanksgiving this year.
I'm glad to be in the same camp.
See you around the pit. Good luck and slow smoking.
Pachanga
Saner,
I apply my rub first and pat it in. Then I apply the slather. Others apply the slather as a tacky surface to help hold the rub. In fact, most do it the second method. My meat is always wet enough that the rub sticks and I can press it in a little. Some people use a brush and paint the slather on very thin. I pat mine on with bare hands and go a hair thicker. I like the direct contact with the meat. I do not think it makes much difference in the long run.
I am working on a reply to your fat cap question on the Authentic Texas Brisket Thread. I should have it up in a few minutes.
Be sure and read the recipe Brisket Pachanga (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=532). It will answer a lot of questions but I will be happy to help in anyway. I am excited for you on this first brisket. I want it to turn out perfect.
I know that there are varying opinions on this subject and it can get confusing. There is a lot of good advice from some fine Q'ers on this site and I am certainly not disparaging their efforts and methods. Brisket Pachanga works for me and produces Authentic Texas Style Brisket. There is research, science, experience and the art of many others as well as myself in this technique. I think you will like it. My dogs do not fare well after I serve up brisket. There are no scraps.
See you around the pit. Good luck and slow smoking.
Pachanga
We apply my rub first and pat it in and then I apply the slather and add more rub.
I dont like mustard at all - but its sure adds to the flavor of ribs and makes them so much better.
Pachanga,
What do you typically mix with the mustard to create a basic slather?
Thanks!
Nateben
I guess the question might be better stated, "what have I not used in a mustard slather". Squirrel tails, rabbit's feet and frog's tongues come to mind as not being proper ingredients. I once eyed a newt as an addition but he got away. If it is in my refrigerator, spice or liquor cabinet, it is a potential ingredient. I'll fess up to adding anchovies (which is a very unique and underused background ingredient that is appropriate in many dishes. Just don't tell your guests. Don't doubt me, check the ingredients in some of your favorite sauces).
Many times I just use mustard. My most used ingredient with the mustard is dark beer, especially on ribs. As Dr Evil states in this thread
Quoteits sure adds to the flavor of ribs and makes them so much better.
I have used dark beer, soy sauce, butter,Tabasco, rum, whiskey, lemon juice, Worcestershire, beef stock, mayonnaise, orange juice, wine, vinegar, and pickle juice to name a few. This does not include any of the rub ingredients which may vary according to the meat. I don't really have a recipe when adding these ingredients. I look for a still thick consistency in the final slather. I do not want it too thin when using the Bradley. One of the reasons I am using the slather is as a protective coating during the first few hours of the smoke when I don't want to open the door. This conserves heat. I think of this as a mop reduction. I use a little thicker slather than when I am on a different smoker where I tend to reapply or mop at an earlier stage.
Just plain mustard or a mixture of mustard and Dijon mustard works pretty well. Start with that and then on another smoke, thin it with some dark beer or reduced dark beer. Continue to jack it up with other ingredients a little at a time.
Plain mustard will not add a different taste. It will just create a better bark and magnify the natural flavors. The other ingredients will change the flavor profile somewhat but not drastically in most cases.
Here is some reading which may be helpful and get you started on your own slather recipe. It is a chapter in one of Paul Kirk's books. He attributes mustard slather with a lot of his success. He is one of the top competition Q'ers of all time and has won the big ones more than once. Some of these slathers are a little thin for my Bradley methods and may need to be adjusted.
http://books.google.com/books?id=hQkdKVJUw6kC&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=Paul+kirk+mustard+slather+recipe&source=bl&ots=ndJYBSoOX1&sig=A5gI5lmLxinq5CQ_O9_ZQ7vAcSU&hl=en&ei=HFOjS96uMabKM-e0iIcJ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Good luck and slow smoking,
Pachanga
Great -- thanks so much. Sounds like I should start basic and experiment with adding other flavors next time.
Do you put your rub on ribs the night before and then add the slather just before smoking?
Natben,
There are varying opinions on this subject. I do not think there is any one right answer. This is up to a person's personal preferences, experiences and smoking background.
I put everything on and let it marinate as the meat comes up to a higher ambient temperature. I personally want the interior meat to taste like beef or pork. The crust and bark are more of a condiment like ketchup to fries. Ribs are a thin meat and the long cooking time is going to allow more than enough flavor to sink in for my taste.
That said, I am not sure how much osmosis takes place between a cold piece of meat and exterior applications. There is a lot more activity and transfer taking place per hour during the hot cooking process than in the refrigerator. Not to say that I never overnight marinate but even on thicker pieces like brisket or pork, the long smoking time is more than enough marination for me. Others like the overnight rub.
If you have ever sliced into a brisket smoked in a stick burner and looked at a smoke ring, you have witnessed how far as least some chemicals and reactions can seep into the meat. My experience is that a deep smoke ring can be accomplished without overnight marinating.
I will use injections, brines or plugs if I want interior meat flavor additions.
As I stated, there are differing opinions on this subject as there are on the use of mustard slathers. While I am not shy in representing my point of view, it is good to read these varying ideas on this board. Try it both ways and see which one you prefer. I think it is wise to take advice but you will learn from each smoking method and experience and thus develop your own unique technique.
Good luck and slow smoking,
Pachanga
Well said Pachanga.
A Simple translation of our friend Pachanga's post.
Everyone does it different take a little from each and create something you can call "Your Own Style" it will always sound better and taste better saying "I made this" and "I combined some ideas from other folks and I created this" than, "I did Pachanga's brisket!" or "I did Tenpoint5's ribs" Do it your way and make it your own. The rest of us are just here to help.
Sound like a good translation Pachanga?
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on March 19, 2010, 08:36:21 AM
A Simple translation of our friend Pachanga's post.
Everyone does it different take a little from each and create something you can call "Your Own Style" it will always sound better and taste better saying "I made this" and "I combined some ideas from other folks and I created this" than, "I did Pachanga's brisket!" or "I did Tenpoint5's ribs" Do it your way and make it your own. The rest of us are just here to help.
Sound like a good translation Pachanga?
AMEN Tenpoint5! Testify!
Nicely translated Chris.
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on March 19, 2010, 08:36:21 AM
A Simple translation of our friend Pachanga's post.
Everyone does it different take a little from each and create something you can call "Your Own Style" it will always sound better and taste better saying "I made this" and "I combined some ideas from other folks and I created this" than, "I did Pachanga's brisket!" or "I did Tenpoint5's ribs" Do it your way and make it your own. The rest of us are just here to help.
Sound like a good translation Pachanga?
Spot On, Senor. Muy Bueno.
Pachanga
I love to do prime ribs. I never used a mustard slather much until I got to this forum. Ribs, butts and brisket all turned our great! I have a basic simple rub for prime rib that I found several years ago that always turned out great. I cannot wait to try that rub with a mustard slather on my next prime rib, which will be my first one in the Bradley. Should be great!
Tommy3puts,
I have never slathered a Prime Rib due to low IT temperature most finish with along with the shortened cooking time compared to briskets and pig. Depending on the final chamber temperature, it may not set the way it does on other meats. Of course it works well for me on pork and beef ribs which also have a shorter cooking time but a much higher IT.
I will be interested in your research and outcome as well as any others who have done so.
Thanks for the idea.
Good luck and slow smoking,
Pachanga
Hmmm
Have to ponder that Pachanga. I always get a nice bark in the oven. I just put my rub one (fresh garlic, rosemary, thyme and fresh cracked peper, and a little olive oil) I throw it in a 300-325 degree oven and do it at that temp the whole way. I used to do the 500 degree brown thing but found I really didn't need it.
But i suppose your right. Given the lower temps and the fact you wouldn't be in the bradley that long, maybe the slather would not work well. What I may do is do two roasts, one with and one without and see how it works out. Wonder if anyone out there has used a mustard slather on a PR.
Thanks for the reply!
Great write up Pachanga. I do believe I am going to mix some bourbon in my next slather.
I tried a mustard slather on some 1 in thick pork chops I smoke and man it was great! Thanks for a great post Pachanga
I can't wait to try my brisket this weekend!
Thanks again for another fine post and education. I have read your previous posts with much intrest and especially on mustard slather. I tried it on a butt, then loin ribs, then on brisket. They all turned out great, and I now use it on those items all the time. You have proved that a good teacher can teach an old dog new tricks.
Hmm, so the whole secret to the mustard slather is thickened vinegar...
I love this site!
I looked up Mustard in wiki to try to find out more details on the mustard enzymes and their impact on collagen, not much there. Anyone have a good link for the enzyme collagen stuff?
I did notice that Turmeric is added to the standard yellow mustard, to help brighten the yellow color. I guess they wouldn't put much in, but seems interesting.
Quote from: TMB on September 29, 2010, 02:08:48 PM
I tried a mustard slather on some 1 in thick pork chops I smoke and man it was great! Thanks for a great post Pachanga
I can't wait to try my brisket this weekend!
Glad the chops turned out well. I will be interested in your brisket opinion.
Quote from: OldHickory on September 29, 2010, 03:48:42 PM
Thanks again for another fine post and education. I have read your previous posts with much intrest and especially on mustard slather. I tried it on a butt, then loin ribs, then on brisket. They all turned out great, and I now use it on those items all the time. You have proved that a good teacher can teach an old dog new tricks.
Thanks for the comments. My only regret is that it took this old dog so long to learn this trick.
Quote from: kaskiles on September 30, 2010, 05:06:49 AM
I looked up Mustard in wiki to try to find out more details on the mustard enzymes and their impact on collagen, not much there. Anyone have a good link for the enzyme collagen stuff?
I did notice that Turmeric is added to the standard yellow mustard, to help brighten the yellow color. I guess they wouldn't put much in, but seems interesting.
You are right. It is hard to find good information. I do not have all of my original research and some of it came from hard copy. Here are some articles that are long and may only touch on the subject in one or two sentences. I enjoy the science behind cooking but the proof is in the pudding. Mustard has improved my results.
http://books.google.com/books?id=hQkdKVJUw6kC&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=mustard+rub+enzymes+barbecue&source=bl&ots=ndLVANtHT6&sig=twZwRgcjGe_9LBEf6tBINtOAgW8&hl=en&ei=FYCkTOWoFYK8lQeX24XgCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=mustard%20rub%20enzymes%20barbecue&f=false
http://montanajones.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-make-mustard.html
http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/canada/649153-1.html
http://www.minndak.com/Mustard.htm
http://media.open2.net/download/ever_wondered_food/roast_beef.pdf
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/eog/reading/20080417gr8set2.pdf
Yes, turmeric is standard in yellow mustard and it is the bright yellow coloring. A little goes a long way. It is also an ingredient in Trappy's pickled jalapeno peppers. I use it when pickling peppers. It can make a yellow mess.
Good luck and slow smoking,
Pachanga