What is bark?
Bark is the leathery, edible outer layer of barbecue meat. It is also the outer layer that we see of an uncooked, red and rosy piece of meat.
Bark comes in many shapes, sizes, and textures. It can be in a layer, thick, thin, crusty and even a crunchy shell.
Bark is created when fat, proteins, and carbohydrates react with heat, oxygen, and marinade ingredients. It forms a more complex flavor profile than meat by itself.
How does your rub affect the bark?
Like most importantly, the exterior of a piece of meat, the bark of a smoked piece of meat has a lot of flavor and a lot of texture. The bark is composed of three main layers. The outermost, on the fat cap side, is the dry external bark. It is usually dull in color and has a hard crunchy texture. The middle layer is the smoky bark, which has a soft texture and goes back to the dry layer. The innermost layer is the fatty bark, which is soft and juicy.
If you’re using a rub, and it is a flavorful one that includes fat, it will melt onto the surface of the meat in a way that will create the ability of the fat layer to crisp up. The final product will have a number of different levels of crunch: soft and fatty on the inside, dry, hard and smoky on the outside. It is really “chicharron” like in texture.
The more fat you put in the rub, the more fatty the bark will be. But if you’re really sensitive about fat, you can use a rub like the Reverse Seared Beef heart recipe in which the fat doesn’t bother you at all.
What are the basic ingredients in a rub?
The basic ingredients in most BBQ rubs are similar. Salt and pepper is a good start as a base. Then you add the flavourings that you prefer.
You should also know that BBQ rubs are low-sugar, so if you are looking for a sweet rub, then you're looking in the wrong place.
Make Your Own Rub
Mix unseasoned salt, pepper and one or two other ingredients together in the ratio that you prefer.
For example, a rub with about 85% salt by volume will give you plenty of flavor and help your meat retain moisture. A 50/50 mix of salt and pepper is more about the pepper. You make your rub in the ratio that you like, and you won't mess up the amount of salt, pepper or the other ingredients.
The exact ratio of the ingredients depends on your own taste. If you want a hot rub, then add a little cayenne or chili powder. If you want more herbs and a little more sweet, then add some garlic powder or brown sugar.
Try different rubs until you find the one you love.
How does smoke affect the bark?
In the process of cooking a BBQ, there are many factors that you can control to make sure you get the perfect result every time you light the fire.
Temperature, the right wood, length of smoking and how often you rotate the meat are all factors you can control.
Bark is that crispy brown crust that forms on the outside of the meat. Each type of meat will have a different amount of bark. For example, beef ribs don’t really get a much bark as pork ribs.
The amount of smoke applied will not ensure the amount of bark you get on the ribs.
The right smoke does something more than creating a great bark.
The goal is to create that tasty crust and lock in moisture on the meat.
Excessive smoke, on the other hand, will make the crust hard which can crack when you bite into it.
How does temperature affect the bark?
Within the range of temperatures appropriate for smoking (100 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 to 82.2 degrees Celsius), the temperature at which the meat’s exterior begins and stops cooking is one of the most important factors in developing a good bark.
The temperature of the smoking meat can be controlled by adjusting the air vents in your smoker. So to get a better bark, start with a higher temperature and then temperature will have to be reduced to get a good bark finish.
In addition, a higher temperature will initially produce a thick, dark crust that can taste bitter on its own. When the meat has reached an internal temperature of 170 degree Fahrenheit, the temperature is reduced to produce the desired texture and flavor.
How does fat content affect the bark?
The higher the fat content in the meat, the higher the chance of creating a really good bark. Fat acts as a fuel (or heat) source to continue the cooking process. In addition, the fat converts to a different form of collagen than it would when cooked alone so it emulsifies better and becomes more of a flavorful liquid instead of a tough solid.
The higher fat content also means that your pork shoulder is well preserved; the fat acts as a barrier between the meat and the air.
How does moisture affect the bark?
Moisture is the key factor in how quickly you get to a good bark. If you find that your meat’s bark is not developing fast enough, try increasing the moisture level by wrapping the meat in a couple of kitchen towels and putting it in a large plastic bag before putting it into the smoker.
You will notice that you now get to a good bark much faster but it is far from the appearance of the bark that you want to achieve. You now need to combine the moisture with smoke.
When you combine moisture and smoke, you will progress much faster to a strong bark. The key is to be very consistent with your smoking method and time.
Tips & Tricks to guarantee a good bark
Bark is the crusted layer that forms on the outside of a smoked meat. It is composed primarily of the sugar caramelization and chemical reactions that occur as fat, salt and water are exposed to smoke and heat.
There are several important factors that will help you get a good bark on your meat.
Through experimentation, I have developed a personal preference for how to get a good bark on my meat.
The most important factor in getting a good bark is the temperature of the smoker while smoking. I like to target a temperature in the 225-250 degree F range.
This will ensure both that the core temperature is not too high to negatively change the meat while also providing enough heat to provide enough smoke to create a caramelized sugar film on the outside.
You have to be really careful not to let the temperature get too high as it will rapidly dry out the outside of the meat.
They may not be the most practical of all the smokers, but if you’re a pit master, you probably considered getting one.
The real reason a smoker would want a WSM is that while maintaining the quality of your smoke in the pit, it’s hard to beat the convenience.
The WSM often requires far less wood than other smokers, so you don’t need to be there constantly feeding it to keep the fire going. You can also cook more than one thing at the same time using more elaborate setups.
However, the positive light on this smoker eventually diminished when you’re waiting for the temperature inside the pit to drop from 300+F to 200+F.
The fire inside the pit is probably burning down by now, and you have to add more wood into it to maintain the heat and not waste the heat already built inside. That’s often when this thing starts to get real smelly and you start wishing you had just a normal smoker.
Alternatively, you can do what most pit masters do when they don’t have time to watch the smoker.
They use a cooking grate between the bottom and the top.
Rub recipe for getting good bark on brisket
The main ingredient for getting good BBQ bark is simple hardwood charcoal. You can’t find anything else that will compare to the intensity of flavor you’ll get from hardwood charcoal.
Now if you get a good hardwood charcoal, it will tend to burn a little bit slower and cleaner.
The bark on brisket is really about a three-step process. All we’re talking about is checking the coals on the bottom, the meat on the top, and the vapor in between.
So we’re going to get those vents set up just right and get a nice clean smoke from those hardwood charcoal.
Now the way to get good bark is to be able to manage the temperature of the coals.
Temperature as it relates to the top of the meat. We want to keep it just below 200 which is the kiss of death because at about 200 you will have a lot of shrinkage.
You will lose all kinds of juice and the meat will dry out.
Just above 200 you will get surface moisture and the bark will get wet and steamy and the meat will be a little bit moister underneath the bark.
They may not be the most practical of all the smokers, but if you’re a pit master, you probably considered getting one.
The real reason a smoker would want a WSM is that while maintaining the quality of your smoke in the pit, it’s hard to beat the convenience.
The WSM often requires far less wood than other smokers, so you don’t need to be there constantly feeding it to keep the fire going. You can also cook more than one thing at the same time using more elaborate setups.
However, the positive light on this smoker eventually diminished when you’re waiting for the temperature inside the pit to drop from 300+F to 200+F.
The fire inside the pit is probably burning down by now, and you have to add more wood into it to maintain the heat and not waste the heat already built inside. That’s often when this thing starts to get real smelly and you start wishing you had just a normal smoker.
Alternatively, you can do what most pit masters do when they don’t have time to watch the smoker.
They use a cooking grate between the bottom and the top.
Rub recipe for getting a good bark on pork butt
(or ribs)
The bark is the best part.
Every pit-master drools in anticipation of a beautiful bark because that is where the real magic is in meat smoking. The bark is the tasty outside part where all the flavors are.
Bark is the outer layer of the meat. It forms on the meat during the smoking process and is made of burnt proteins, sugars, and fats created by the dripping juices from the meat. The smoke drips down onto the exposed meat in the smoker. That causes the bark.
But what is the answer to the question of how to create a good bark?
Wood selection is very important because it creates the foundation of flavor that you will build upon.
In order to have a good bark, you want to have a high level of wood smoke retained. This means that you use the smoker with indirect heat. Use chunks of smoking wood (cut to roughly the size of baseballs), or logs of smoking wood.
The difference between one cooking method and the next are adding the wood on one end of the smoker, either the left or right and letting the smoke move across the meat. Because the meat is on the opposite side, this method allows the meat to not be directly over the heat source.
Easy BBQ Pulled Pork
When asked what my favourite food is, the only logical answer is something that’s pork-related. Sorry to all the vegetarian and vegan out there, you understand too. My ultimate weekend meal is pulled pork sandos (sandwiches).
The number of ways you can enjoy food with pork is endless … it can be a bacon sandwich, piled up on a bed of coleslaw, crusted in crackling, or sold at the finest burger joints in town. Which is why this recipe is my go-to recipe when friends and family come over at the weekend, to enjoy a truly delicious BBQ pulled pork sandwich served with fresh coleslaw on a brioche bun.
What you need:
- 1 kg pork shoulder, skinless
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cumin seed
- 2 tablespoons cloves
- 1 tablespoon peppercorn
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 cup distilled vinegar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon chilli flakes
How to Do It:
{1}. Mix brown sugar, BBQ sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, spices and vinegar in a bowl.
{2}. Pour this sauce over the pork, mixing well to cover the pieces.