Using Binder on Pork Ribs

Pitmasters all have their own “secrets” for preparing meat, some will even use a binder on pork ribs. Some would rather wash their eyes in the hottest pepper sauce available. Binders serve two purposes. The first purpose is to provide a level of moisture to the meat. Another purpose is to help seasoning stick to the meat.

There are as many choices for binders as you can think of. Some of the more common choices for binders are mustard, duck fat, liquid smoke, honey, or fruit juices. Again, these are only a few of the choices. You can use anything pleasing to your palate, any viscosity, any flavor. Keeping in mind that a binder should help rub sticks to meat, I wouldn’t use anything too liquidly because it may run off when turning.

When using a binder on pork ribs, I season the meat with a mild dusting of my favorite rub black dynamite. Next comes a liberal coating of mustard followed by another dusting of rub. The family joke is they look like they have measles. Nevertheless, onto the smoker, they go. My favorite temperature is 275-325 degrees. Length of time in the cooker depends on how many slabs (baby backs) and the thickness of the ribs. The frequency and number of flips depend on the perception of how fast the meat is cooking.

Binder on Pork Ribs Cooking Methods

My favorites are the Baby Back followed by St. Louis Style, and lastly Spare Ribs aka “Big Bones”. Binder works well on all three and my technique is the same. Not that there’s anything wrong with the technique, but I rarely use the 3:2:1 method. My favorite method is to season and slow-cook them using a combination of charcoal and wood. With 15 minutes left, I sauce them on the grill, pull, and slice. It does not matter whether a binder was used or not. The taste is awesome either way and there is no mustardy taste.

At the end of the day, it’s all about what you’re comfortable with. I had eaten ribs for years prepared without a binder and they went down well. What I will tell you is the 3:2:1 method yields awesome ribs when using binders. They tend to be juicier even if your temperature varies on the hot side. Give using a binder a try, you have nothing to lose. Click the link below and you can see the sauces and rubs we use to prepare mouth-watering ribs.

“Life’s Good When You’re Cookin Wit’ Gus”

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