Some of mine, I season with granulated garlic and coarse black pepper, but I give them a quick rinse after they come out of the cure, pat dry with paper towels, and place on a rack in the fridge, uncovered, for a day or so to let it dry out before smoking. If you really want to, you can always apply rubs or spices to the meat prior to smoking.One of my slabs I put some seasonings on. I’m not sure how a soak will effect that. I may just leave two alone and see what happens. I’m not a guy who likes salty bacon so this should be a fun experiment.