One of my favorite rituals over the years when preparing chicken, pork or beef for barbequing or grilling is the use a good mustard slather as part of the preparation process.Does mustard make a difference? Will it give your food an overwhelming mustard taste, taking away from the grilling and smoking ? This article will address these issues and a couple of my favorite slathers for you to try.

When I first started to barbeque competitively, I had heard that mustard was a great tool to use during the process of preparation, adding flavor and texture to barbequed foods. I began experimenting with this process by barbequing meat both with a slather and without the slather. The end result was an overwhelming YES, slathers do make a difference.

I‘ve discovered that a good mustard slather goes a long way, adding moisture, texture/or bark to the meat being barbequed, while adding a positive taste to the overall end result. You would think that by putting this bright yellow mixture on meat, the end result would be yellow meat. Absolutely not. You’ll never see it in the final product.When I prepare a pork butt for barbequing, I first rinse and trim the butt and then pat it dry. Using a pastry brush, I apply a thin layer of mustard slather to one side of the butt and then apply one of my favorite rubs to the surface of the mustard slather. The butt is then turned over and the process is repeated.I allow the butt or any other meat I’m barbequing with a slather to sit for 15-20 minutes before placing on the smoker. It is important to allow time for this tacky process to happen prior to placing on the smoker. It adds to the end flavor and helps the rub stick to the meat being barbequed while adding a wonderfully flavored bark to the finished barbequed meat.Keep reading for mustard slather recipes I use and recommend to friends and family:Basic Mustard Slather
2 cups prepared mustard
½ cup honey
½ cup dill pickle juice
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs Tabasco sauceCombine the above ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and blend together until smooth. Paint thinly over meat before applying rub. Mixture will keep in a plastic sealed container for 5-7 days.*makes 2 ½ cups*Mustard/Bacon Slather
2 cups prepared mustard (Brown or Dijon mustard can be used)
¼ cup of honey
½ cup bacon drippings (warm-up if neccessary)
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup seasoned salt or rub your choice
3 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs Tabasco SauceCombine the above ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and blend together until smooth. Paint thinly over meat before applying rub Mixture will keep in a plastic sealed container for 1-3 days.This rub is especially good on pork shoulder/pork butt.*makes 2 ½ cups*Honey Mustard Slather
1 cup prepared yellow mustard
½ cup spicy brown mustard
¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup distilled vinegar
2 tbs prepared horseradish
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepperThe above mustard rubs are recipes that I have enjoyed and feel go well with any meat you decide to barbeque. To develop your own mustard rub experiment with flavors and ingredients that you and your family are familiar with and enjoy. Any of the ingredients can be taken out or more added if desired.