Penetration of Smoke?

Personally I sprinkle. I don't use a binder, like mustard, instead I let the meat "rest" and let the salt in the rub draw moisture out of the meat to make the rub get pasty. It's all personal preference though. I use to rub but it makes a mess, sprinkling is easier.

As for smoke penetration I think that more a function of the type wood and the duration of exposure than anything else.

Willie has a really good method. However, if your rub is somewhat low in salt, the vinegar in the mustard will help to draw the rub into the meat. Like Willie, I dint like rubbing. I think it makes a mess and the rubbing doesn't really help.

Good luck and good smoking, Joe.

I think the smoke penetration is a combination of the smoke source (hardwood sticks being the best source) and moisture on the outside of the meat, along with the initial temp band and time in that band.  In my experience, moist meat absorbs clean smoke easier, but I don't how I could quantify that with a benchmark.

Although meat will continue to absorb smoke FLAVOR throughout a smoke, the bulk of the flavor absorption takes place at the lower end IMO  (say 150* and under).  Spritzing with moisture, like apple juice & honey (or similar) on pork butts towards the end, lowers the surface temp of the meat and again I think this further enhances the absorption of flavor.

The SMOKE RING pretty much is done by around 140* (assuming the ring is actually from the smoke and not a chemical crutch like cure in the rub).  The smoke source will have a lot to do with the quality of the smoke ring that is developed.  Real hardwood fire being the best for smoke ring, followed by hardwood chunks on charcoal, pellet or puck burners, pellet trays or tubes, and virtually none from charcoal alone.  As to what forms the smoke ring....   it is a chemical reaction between nitrogen dioxide in the smoke and myoglobin protein in the meat.  Some meats have more (like beef) and tend to have a more prominent "ring".  But the amount of nitrogen dioxide is a key, and there is more in natural wood as it burns and emits smoke.  The other key is the amount of moisture on the surface of the meat.  Bone dry is more of a barrier and a moist surface helps the nitrogen dioxide (which is a gas) penetrate deeper.

The fat is what will keep meat from getting smoke , more so than a rub. But I'm sure fat gets nice smoke flavor too.

I pretty much agree with everything dward51 said with a couple of exceptions. First, Nitrogen Dioxide should read Nitric Oxide. Who cares what it's called but for accuracy's sake.... Second, his statement that charcoal doesn't produce Nitrogen is just not true. Briquettes actually out perform wood in production of Nitrogen. That's because manufactures infuse their briquettes with material that make Nitrogen when burned. They know the science.

The most important thing he posted was almost buried. Meat needs to be moist, not wet, not dry...moist. That's why I like the method of sprinkling and letting the salt draw out water from the meat to make a wet paste of the rub. I think that's how you get the best smoke penetration.

Joe Black said:

Willie has a really good method. However, if your rub is somewhat low in salt, the vinegar in the mustard will help to draw the rub into the meat. Like Willie, I dint like rubbing. I think it makes a mess and the rubbing doesn't really help.

Good luck and good smoking, Joe.

Click to expand...

Yep, If you go low salt you do need something to help out

BBQWillie said:

Yep, If you go low salt you do need something to help out

Click to expand...

I would say rub is just a topping. Like whip cream on pie. I'm not worried about the whip cream penetrating the pie crust. It's there and you will get some bark in most every bite. Inject the rub solution into the meat if you like it. [emoji]129299[/emoji]

Personally me, I'm a "pat" type guy... the only time i rub is the sides of whatever I'm smoking since the seasonings dont like to stay on vertical surfaces( what's gravity good for!!) But i agree with whats said above, resting is best! Most meats youre in for the long-hual whats anothet 30 minutes to an hour gonna hurt?

As much as I like watching Michael Simon, I'm not buying what he is selling on that one. Plausible perhaps. But I'd need to see some empirical data on that rather than conjecture. I have always been a "sprinkler" until I came around this site. I have tried rubbing in the rub and also using mustard, and didn't see any advantage, but agree it was messy.

Some of the best pork roast I have ever made (and many time since) is in a Dutch oven that was marinated in ton of garlic and herbs with a bit of olive oil to make a paste and refrigerate or cooler for 48-72 hours, then slow roasted using the Boy Scout method. The point is, there is no smoke. But the flavor of the herbs are penetrated throughout the meat in such an incredible way. The point being, is it doesn't matter whether it is smoke, seasonings, or cure, it takes time for the penetration to occur.