This Misunderstood Seasoning Is The Key To Ultra Flavorful BBQ

One of the most flexible (and fun) things you can do when it comes to barbecue is experiment with what goes into your seasonings and sauces, and there is one key ingredient that you can use to really boost flavor when it comes to your cooking. It's often misunderstood, if not maligned altogether, but the truth is, it's just as useful as anything else — and that's MSG. Finally, MSG (monosodium glutamate) is no longer the bad guy.

We spoke to Greg Gatlin, James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Texas in 2023 and founder of Gatlin's BBQ and Gatlin's Fins & Feathers, about how MSG can fit into your outdoor cooking recipes. When it comes to seasoning meat, Gatlin explained, "Adding MSG doesn't necessarily change the natural flavor of the meat. Instead, it enhances the flavor with savory notes. Glutamates are naturally a part of raw meats."

Using MSG creatively doesn't have to stop with seasoning proteins. You can use it when grilling up vegetables and even with ingredients like fruit. "If the fruit is sweet, the MSG will add a touch of savory that counteracts well with sweetness, giving it a balance of sweet and savory." Think sweet peaches, tangy pineapple, or wedges of juicy grilled watermelon with a touch of salty depth.

How to incorporate MSG into your grilling recipes

You can use MSG in multiple ways when it comes to grilling. Greg Gatlin shared that there aren't any hard rules to it, but you should stick to your personal preferences, as the MSG can make the salty flavors from other ingredients more intense. "Most rubs have a decent amount of salt in them. Adding MSG on top of that could be overpowering if not used in moderation," he cautioned.

Some barbecue rubs, like the recipe I tried from the book "Rodney Scott's World of BBQ," have MSG in them, but they account for this by incorporating comparatively less regular salt. Your best bet for adding MSG into a rub is to whip up a homemade blend — this way you can control exactly how salty it tastes. 

For this reason, Gatlin suggested that you use MSG in your homemade sauces. "Adding it to the sauce would be optimal in my opinion because it would enhance the flavors that have already been put into creating the sauce," he explained. As with any ingredients that are new to you, just go easy with it until you get the hang of how much to add.

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