Old timer at a Memphis BBQ joint swore by mustard slather

I was at Payne's in Memphis last spring and this 70 year old guy next to me said slather your pork shoulder with mustard before the rub. I thought he was nuts but tried it on my last 8 pound butt. That bark came out perfectly sticky and the meat pulled like butter. Has anyone else had success with this or was it just a fluke?

3 comments

3 Comments

sagecooper16d ago

Yellow mustard slather is the real deal. I've done it on about 20 pork shoulders over the last few years and it never fails. The vinegar in the mustard helps the rub stick and it cooks off completely during the first couple hours. You don't taste any mustard at the end, just a nicer bark. Payne's knows what they're doing, that old timer wasn't messing around.

calebc4016d ago

Did you notice any difference in how the bark held up after resting, @sagecooper? My buddy tried it once and swore the mustard helped his rub stay on way better than oil ever did.

rowanhernandez16d agoMost Upvoted

Mustard's overrated as a binder honestly. Did a side by side last month on two identical butts. One with yellow mustard, one with plain yellow mustard. Wait no. One with mustard, one with just olive oil. The oil one had way better crunch. Mustard one had this weird tacky feel even after hours. Buddy probably just got lucky with his cook.