| As the masses begin to uncover their grills and | | | | The most important thing to remember about putting |
| smokers for the season of Barbecue and Grilling, | | | | a good dry rub together is balance. A good balance |
| many wonder what will set theirs apart from the | | | | of flavors is key to complimenting the meats natural |
| rest. The answer? A good rub can make a world of | | | | flavor, versus covering it up. |
| difference. Sure, a good barbecue sauce is still a good | | | | Once we have our ingredients established, along with |
| thing to have to compliment your meal, but the | | | | their measurements, we can now use them on our |
| seasoning is the key. | | | | bbq. On thicker cuts of meat, such as pork shoulder |
| A rub, is commonly referred to as a dry marinade, | | | | cuts, or beef brisket, we will want to give ample |
| many times, it can actually bring more flavor to your | | | | marinate time for the flavors to work into the meat. |
| barbecue than a liquid marinade, especially when used | | | | On these thicker cuts, you will want at least 4 to 6 |
| in a similar fashion. | | | | hours at a minimum, but ideally 10 to 12 hours is best. |
| Ok, lets look at the ingredient make-up of the | | | | On thinner cuts such as pork ribs, or steaks, you |
| barbecue dry rub, first, most barbecue rubs will | | | | should be looking for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 |
| contain the following basic ingredients; | | | | hour, and ideally 4 to 6 hours.Another key to using a |
| Kosher Salt | | | | rub is to work the rub into the meat. |
| White Sugar | | | | When you apply a bbq rub, you can apply it over a |
| Black Pepper | | | | wet base, such as mustard, or oil (olive or canola). |
| Paprika | | | | This is called a wet rub application, and can help the |
| These ingredients are typically used in fairly equal | | | | rub adhere to the surface of the meat. The most |
| amounts, and other spices, and sugars can be thrown | | | | popular way to apply a rub is to shake it on heavy |
| in to enhance flavor based on the type of meat your | | | | and dry. Once this is done, it is important to work it |
| cooking. A few of these additional ingredients are: | | | | in, or massage it into the meat. This will help the rub |
| Spices | | | | flavor penetrate much quicker. |
| Celery Salt | | | | Always, before putting your meat in the cooker, |
| Cumin | | | | allow time for the rub to melt into the surface of the |
| Chili powder | | | | meat. This process will not only allow for the flavor |
| Cayenne Pepper | | | | to penetrate, it will also aid in the formation of what |
| Garlic or Garlic Salt | | | | us bbq'ers refer to as "bark". Bark is a crust that |
| Sugars | | | | forms on the outside of the meat while cooking. |
| Brown Sugar | | | | Now that I have given you the basics, your turn! But, |
| Turbinado Sugar | | | | I will give a great all purpose BBQ Rub that works |
| Demerara Sugar | | | | especially well on pork, and chicken. Enjoy! |
| Golden Granulated Sugar | | | | |