Let Your Dry Rub 'Marinate' Your Pork For The Best Flavor
In culinary theater, dry rubs are the supporting actors to the lead: the meat. These mixtures of dry spices and herbs are applied to different cuts of meat in order to enhance its natural flavor, not overpower it. This leaves many barbecue fanatics and backyard pitmasters wondering how long they should let the flavor of their dry rubs sponge into their pork cuts. If you have found yourself in this position, wonder no further.
In most cases and cuts, letting pork rest in a dry rub for 30 minutes to 1 hour is a safe bet for capturing the explosive flavor of whatever spice mixed is used. Naturally, this time varies with the cut of pork because of the difference in cut size; a pork butt, for example, is significantly larger than a cut of tenderloin. Like with a brine, salt is central to why the dry rub resting time varies with the cut of pork.
Perfect dry rubbed pork all comes down to salt and size
A big mistake when brining small cuts of meat is letting the cut brine for too long; a similar mistake can be made with a dry rub. The salt in brines and dry rubs changes the proteins in the meat in a way that makes the meat better at absorbing and retaining moisture. When a cut brines for too long, the weakened proteins and excessive moisture cause the meat to fall apart. In contrast, a small cut of pork left resting too long in a dry rub will dry out because the rub does not add moisture like a brine.
Even though the salt in a dry rub is especially effective at permeating deeply into the meat, most other spices and herbs and their flavors will still settle on the surface of the meat. Cooking a smaller pork cut immediately after applying a dry rub will still result in a flavor-packed exterior without risking an overly dried pork chop.
For this reason, larger, more moist cuts of meat can rest longer in a dry rub without sacrificing flavor or moisture. Salt on its own is a solid seasoning for pork, so letting a large cut of pork rest in a dry rub overnight is a common practice.
Use dry rubs to fit your schedule and flavor needs
If there is time to let a cut rest overnight, Memphis-style dry-rubbed ribs are an explosion of sweet and smoky flavors that include cumin and onion powder and are worth dreaming about. That said, dry-rubbed porterhouse pork chops would be the way to go for a quicker dinner. These chops only need to rest in the dry rub for 15 minutes for the cilantro and black pepper to deliver on the promise of a peppery masterpiece.
When it comes to cooking by feel, Carolina-style pulled pork has the perfect approach; the pork butt in this dish only rests in the rub for however long it takes to prepare its cooking apparatus. When it comes time to eat this pulled pork, the earthy notes of the thyme and cayenne pepper are sure to please.
A good loin goes a long way for a larger family dinner, especially an orange, anise, and brown sugar-rubbed roast. The sweet and citrusy undertones make natural partners to pork for a lively celebration dish. The bonus here is that it can also rest in the rub for as little as one hour (or longer, if you have time).