| Barbecues are great for summer or fall entertaining. | | | | Pulled pork cooked in a smoker is especially good |
| A bit of planning can go a long way toward making | | | | using this rub. |
| the day hassle free and enjoyable. Here are some | | | | Combine all ingredients together: ¼ cup freshly |
| tips for putting on a great BBQ event and recipes for | | | | ground black pepper, ¼ cup paprika, three |
| a few delicious meat rubs to boot. | | | | tablespoons each of sugar and sea salt, and two |
| It's wise to clean up your charcoal barbecue or | | | | teaspoons each of dry mustard and cayenne pepper. |
| smoker each time after it's been used. After the grill | | | | You'll want to work this mixture into the meat |
| cools off, clean off any stuck-on bits of meat using a | | | | anywhere from 12 to 24 hours before cooking. Right |
| wire brush. Then, use warm, soapy water to clean | | | | before smoking the meat, rub the rest of the |
| the rest of the grill. If you have a gas barbecue, | | | | mixture into it. This rub will accommodate about 5 to |
| clean it by burning off the grill for a short time. Keep | | | | 6 pounds of meat. |
| your tools handy and be sure to clean them after | | | | Rib Rub |
| each use. | | | | This rub can be mixed up to be mild or on the spicy |
| Before beginning to cook, take your meat from the | | | | side, depending on your preference. |
| refrigerator and put it in a cool place to bring it to an | | | | Mix together: ¼ cup chili pepper (either mild or |
| ambient temperature prior to cooking it. The reward | | | | medium), ¼ cup paprika, ¼ cup freshly |
| for planning ahead will be a more juicy piece of meat. | | | | ground black pepper, and ¼ cup brown sugar. |
| Never mix raw foods together in the same marinade | | | | Add to this a tablespoon each of cayenne pepper |
| and always use separate chopping boards for each | | | | (again, the amount is up to you), sea salt, and garlic |
| meat to prevent cross-contamination. | | | | powder. Put a generous amount of rub onto each |
| Always cook your food completely. Check the | | | | side of the rack of ribs and cook as usual. |
| doneness of your ribs, pork chops, or chicken by | | | | It is relatively simple to create your own rub right in |
| piercing the thickest part of the piece of meat with a | | | | your own kitchen. Just keep in mind a few key |
| sharp knife. If the juices are pink, cook the meat | | | | concepts. The first is that the proportion of salt in |
| longer until the juices run clear. | | | | your recipe should be enough to draw moisture from |
| Plan ahead and marinate your meat or poultry in the | | | | the surface of the meat. The proportion of the sugar |
| refrigerator overnight or for a few hours prior to | | | | in your rub should not be high since it tends to |
| barbecuing. They'll soak up the flavor of the marinade | | | | caramelize and burn during the cooking process. |
| and be primed for cooking. Make up some separate | | | | Some common ingredients contained in rubs are |
| marinade (no raw meat juice) for basting as well. | | | | paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne, |
| As promised, here are a few basic rubs for | | | | oregano, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, sage, or |
| barbecuing. | | | | any other spice you and your family enjoy. Simply |
| Pork Rub | | | | adjust the amounts of the ingredients to your taste. |