How to maximize bark and flavor

[Mark V]

I am just brainstorming here, so bear with me. I am obviously not a competition cook or anything like that, no expert, just am always curious. I can add a lot of spices and herbs and other things before setting the meat in the smoker and get a good bark, but a lot of the original flavors of the rub and other things seem to get lost in cooking, but forms a good bark. So, are some things better for bark and others better for flavor? Mustard seems one obvious thing that forms bark but loses all flavor.
Rubs can get expensive. I see that pellicle plus spice makes the bark. I assume that salt has a big factor in that, it denatures the protein fibers and I assume helps browning in that way, helps form more of a pellicle? It also dissolves in water and works its way into the meat to flavor it more. Are any spices water soluble, and can they work their way in or not? Is it only salt that can penetrate due to electrochemical reactions? Do they only help contribute (along with fat soluble spices) to the slurry that helps bark formation? Can I form a decent bark with just salt added on the night before and some cheap add on like mustard, then add a full blown spice rub an hour before finish for flavor? I am thinking more of ribs than a thicker piece of meat that you can inject easier. Maybe I am just overthinking things.

[Steve R.]

Sugar is your friend for bark on ribs. Brown sugar, better still. In my experience, with the relatively short cook time of ribs, it's more carmelization of that sugar than what you normally think of as bark. I cook my ribs on a stick burner at 250-275, fwiw.

[texastweeter]

Normal smoking temps are too low to start sugar caramelization. Need 320°-340° for that.

[Steve R.]

Yeah, texastweeter, carmelization isn't really the word I'm looking for there. It's just different than, say, the bark on a pork butt.

[Red Man]

For beef, I typically dry brine then just use black pepper right before it hits the smoker. I always have lots of bark.

[JeffJ]

I use a pepper-heavy rub for beef.

[mountainsmoker]

Here is Meathead article on dry brining. Basically you use a 1/2 tsp per lb. of meat. https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...ul-wet-brining Depending on the thickness I put it on 4-48 hours from cook time.

It has nothing to do with the bark. Bark is formed by the cook time or by the ingredients in the rub. A lot of Texas rubs use just the dry brine and black pepper or may add some hot pepper or garlic. A rub for ribs and pork butt will use sugar and other herbs and spices, most have paprika. See Meathead salt free Memphis Dust

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/spice-rubs-and-pastes/meatheads-memphis-dust-rub-recipe

[Murdy]

It bears emphasizing that the 1/2 tsp per lb ratio is based on using Kosher salt, which is less dense.

[mountainsmoker]

Correct and Morton, not Diamond brand. Morton is more course.

[Troutman]

To your question, most of the spices we generally use have molecules way too large to penetrate the meat protein matrices. Salt is small enough plus it has the added bonus of electrolysis piggy backing with moisture to penetrate the fibers as you mentioned. Other spices cannot. Flavor from rubs then is a topical thing.

Flavor inside meat then must be gotten through moisture retention and rendering of internal fat. In other words trying to get that punch from the outside pellicle and bark, and the inside mouth feel from the moisture and fat, is what makes for great barbecue. If your into injecting, that's yet another way of introducing flavor into the meat.

Sometimes simple is the best. Meat, salt and pepper and heat. Works great with fatty cuts like beef back ribs. Really all I need...

[Nate]

I don’t think mustard really helps in Bark formation. I have used it and I have not used it and there really wasn’t a difference... the only benefit may be rub adherence but I can get that by just spritzing some water or oiling it before putting the rub on. Mustard seems to have gotten this mythical magical ingredient status for some reason.

[Troutman]

You are correct, it's a binder

[Steve R.]

Mayonnaise works as well or better than mustard, but I use a spray bottle of water 99% of the time, if I use anything at all.

[Spinaker]

Agreed Nate. I never even use it for that. I say, skip the yella stuff.

[Spinaker]

I think it is much more about the cooker you are using. I usually just use salt and pepper on my briskets and I always have a nice thick bark. Wrapping the meat will effect the bark formation and overall appearance and texture. For those reasons I skip it altogether.

Keep it simple. I also avoid using any kind of water pan, expect in my KBQ where there is a ton of air flow. I find that using water pans only causes the interior of the cooker to become a steam bath which inhibits bark formation. (Especially in a kamado) I do spritz my briskets just to keep the surface of the bark moist but I don't over do it so the bark can still set up.