Cornmeal in your beef rubs?

[reallyalexsc]

I have been given some beef rub (ingredients pictured), and I am curious if anyone has any thoughts about some of it.

I don't tend to put sugar in my beef rubs (certainly not very much), but I know some people do and I can see it working... but my big question is about the cornmeal.

My gut tells me that the cornmeal and sugar in the rub, will form a crust almost of its own , and might give me problems generating actual proper bark underneath, but I really am flying blind here.

Anyone have any experience using rubs with cornmeal in? Is it going to affect my bark formation, or is it just there to bulk out this rub?

Normally I'd just experiment, but I'm kind of loathe to experiment with a true unknown rather than an iteration when we're talking about a loooong brisket cook!

Oh, and the reason I'm umming and ahhing over all this is that I am cooking a brisket next week for the family who got me this rub (and some other rubs and sauces) in the first place; I've been quite impressed with the other bits so far, too, so they seem to have at least some idea what they're doing.

(And yes, I know the salt in the rub is going to cause me some issues too; if I use this I'll salt it overnight, undershooting the total a bit, then season before smoking.)

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

dunno about cornmeal, but with a commercial rub where salt is a large part of the mix I just dry brine with the rub instead of risking something being too salty.

[RonB]

Brown sugar is the # 1 ingredient and in the US, ingredients are listed in order of the amount of an ingredient with the highest amount being first. I am hesitant to do a hot cook or a sear with rubs that contain sugar because it will burn if it gets too hot. I would consider this a low temp rub, and I have no idea what the cornmeal will do...

[RonB]

Jerod Broussard - sweet baked goods routinely bake at 350°, so it would have to be higher than that, and I'm guessing time plays a roll the higher temp you cook..

[RonB]

Jerod Broussard - I did a little research:


Sugar Color Sugar Temperature

Clear 315 – 320° F
Brown 330 – 338° F
Black/Burnt 350°+ F

[Jerod Broussard]

That time thing, and when smoking the surface of the meat is cooler than the air temp. We smoke at 225 minimum so the meat surface temp hopefully hits 180 in order to pasteurize rather quickly.

[bbqLuv]

First I heard of cornmeal in a rub. Might be a new trend.
Try it out and let us know. Hope it works.

[reallyalexsc]

Thanks. Ingredients are listed in order of amount here too, which is why I was planning to put some more salt of my own on for a nice thick hunk of brisket given how far down the list it is and how what small a proportion yeast extract is likely to be.

I think I'm going to do a test cook of another piece of beef I can start nice and low but not spend all day on!

And I'm glad I'm not the only one flummoxed by the cornmeal...

EDIT: I have realised I am (something) of an idiot on one account - the obligatory nutrition information panel reports it is 14g of salt / 100g of rub, so I can work out exactly how much salt to add. So that's something.

[Oak Smoke]

Unless I've miss counted sugar is mentioned 4 times in the first 3 lines. I believe maltodextrin is a sugar. Salt and sea salt are both listed. Onion and garlic are listed twice. With that much salt and sugar plus corn meal I'd have to pull a Nancy Regan and just say no. I think I would do a nice dry brine and some pepper when I went on the pit with the brisket.

[Mark V]

The only thing I have found online is that cornmeal helps prevent caking of the rub.

[CaptainMike]

Hahahaha, I saw this after my post.

[CaptainMike]

I wonder if the corn meal is being used as an anti-caking additive.