If it doesnt work, why do it?

[BXMurphy]

I hear about people marinating and rubbing their meat in all sorts of deliciousness. And then I hear about how salt is really the only flavor that penetrates.

Why bother marinating or rubbing if salt is all I need?

Murph

 

[negolien]

You're going off the premise that salts the only thing that adds any flavor? So much wrong with that statement I just don't know where to start. Let's just go with ...

 

[chilerelleno]

You're going off the premise that salts the only thing that adds any flavor? So much wrong with that statement I just don't know where to start. Let's just go with ...

View attachment 658970

No, he said, "penetrates."
And it is the only seasoning that can and will deeply penetrate a solid cut of meat.
And with that said, it takes time.

All other seasonings, spices, herbs and condiments, applied by whatever topical manner, e.g. marinade or brine, are for all purposes topical flavorings.
Unless of course one pierces the meat via jaccard, injection or otherwise.

I hear about people marinating and rubbing their meat in all sorts of deliciousness. And then I hear about how salt is really the only flavor that penetrates.

Why bother marinating or rubbing if salt is all I need?

Murph

Yo man,
yes salt is a great flavor enhancer, one of the best!
And it does so much more when applied in various manners, wet brine, dry brine, salt crusted/packed and so many more.
It flavors, enhances, tenderizes, preserves and sustains life.

If I could have only one seasoning salt would be that one.
But to to set aside everything else? No way in hell, man!

 

[kelbro]

I have one of those FoodSaver vacuum trays and I think that some marinades do penetrate the protein when under vacuum for an hour or so. It's visible when you slice into a chicken breast or pork tenderloin or pork chop.

 

[mike243]

Some liquids will dig to the bone and take flavoring with it, vinegar alcohol like wine and i'm sure there are others, not sure why so many folks spritz apple cider vinegar on stuff as it adds a lot of flavor deep but not the 1 I am wanting most of the time, there again it will take flavors from rubs with it to some amount, I am glad to have choices

 

[chopsaw]

Salt draws the moisture to the surface . The moisture mixes with the other spices and over time draws it back into the meat .

 

[motocrash]

What he said

 

[schlotz]

If I would serve you two bites from two perfectly smoked briskets, 1st with only salt and the 2nd that included freshly cracked black pepper (others might include onion and garlic but I'm old school, so it's the Texan approach). My bet is you and most others would pick #2 as the one preferred.

No question on what salt does, but there is more to flavor than just salt.

 

[indaswamp]

Why smoke meat? I mean the smoke only adheres to the surface.....

<rhetorical question> but the answer is the same.......

 

[Marknmd]

The first time I heard that salt is the only thing that will penetrate was on the AR site with Meathead - many years ago. He says only salt has molecules small enough to penetrate. Other spices will not penetrate due to the size of the molecules. However, I believe he's talking about dry brine - as in hours or days in advance. I believe marinades will penetrate because over time the juices in the protein will swap places with the marinade, and the protein will actually gain weight as it absorbs marinade.

I think we all know that a dry brine hours or a day in advance works wonders.

However, reputable pitmasters insist that applying a rub is best done within 30 mins of beginning the cook.

In other words, it seems dry brine in advance is a good idea, but also applying a rub 30 mins before the cook is also a good idea. And therefore applying a rub hours in advance is not a good idea if it has something other than salt in it.

So ideally one would do a dry brine in advance. Or one would do a rub 30 mins before the cook. Or one would do a dry brine in advance AND a salt-free rub 30 mins before the cook.

OR, one could do a dry brine in advance but use only half the amount, then apply a rub with salt 30 mins before the cook (suggested by meathead). I've done this and it works great.

 

[TripleLindy]

And then I hear about how salt is really the only flavor that penetrates.

Yes, science has shown this to be true. But surface level spices also add flavor, just like salt does to French fries. Spices don’t have to penetrate to add flavor.

 

[SmokinEdge]

My experience says that sugars diffuse into meat like salt just at a slower rate. This is seen in bacon for example, if a sweet rub or pickle is used you will see that the bacon will burn very easily in the pan from the sugars present in the meat, that’s penetrating to me. Also acidic liquids like vinegar, wine or citrus juice can a do penetrate meat, carne asada is a good example. Most all other spices only effect the surface of the meat, but they certainly add to the overall flavor of the finished product. So why marinate? Flavor my friend, more flavor more juiciness and with acids help with tenderness. No replacement for marinades, they work.

 

[Carbon1960]

I'm a dry brine fan, have read all about how nothing penetrates but salt. I'm still on the fence. For example, if you put pinapple juice in your Pastor marinade too early you get mushy meat, to the core. I'd swear a soy sauce/lemon marinade will make every bit of a tri-tip have the flavor.

On the other hand- When I pull a but, I chop up the outer bark and mix it in for more flavor. I I didn't do that, the meat from the center is basiclly cooked pork and could go into Carnitas or whatever to adopt the seasoning for the dish.

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

My experience says that sugars diffuse into meat like salt just at a slower rate. This is seen in bacon for example, if a sweet rub or pickle is used you will see that the bacon will burn very easily in the pan from the sugars present in the meat, that’s penetrating to me. Also acidic liquids like vinegar, wine or citrus juice can a do penetrate meat, carne asada is a good example. Most all other spices only effect the surface of the meat, but they certainly add to the overall flavor of the finished product. So why marinate? Flavor my friend, more flavor more juiciness and with acids help with tenderness. No replacement for marinades, they work.

That's accurate. The rate at which a flavoring agent moves through meat would be directly related to how water soluble the agent is. Salt is extremely soluble, so it moves well (and it turns up in pretty much every rub, injection, and marinade), but sugar, MSG, vinegar, soy, fruit juices, etc, should move fairly well. Things like pepper, paprika, and most other spices won't really move beyond any local nicks or fissures in the meat. They'd stay in the bark. Which is one of a number of reasons that the bark tastes different than the meat inside.

 

[noboundaries]

Marinating meat and rubbing meat are two similar but different processes. When I marinate a meat it involves a lot of flavors and ingredients. Flavors absolutely penetrate the meat. Once done, I don't add a rub.

When I brine a meat, similar but different to a marinade, my brines usually involve only salt, sugar, and a liquid like water (long brine) or fruit juice or vinegar (short brine). Fruit juice acids, vinegar, and alcohol will toughen meat if left more than a few hours. I'll add a rub for flavor just before smoking or cooking.

Rubbing meat to dry brine always includes a salt. I'm not concerned with rub flavors penetratring the meat. I dry brine so the salt penetrates the meat, denatures the protein, thus tenderizing the product. The rub flavors remaining on the surface are a time saver. Fridge to smoker it goes.