Using Rubs

[Haggis]

Gday all, I am seeking guidance and wisdom regarding the use of rubs! Like probably the majority of Australians, rubs are not a thing that we use very often or are familiar with at all (among other things such as crockpot/very slow cooking that I see so much of here).

Anyhow I am wondering how to properly use a rub. Do you apply it to the meat just before it goes on the grill or into the oven? Or do you rub it in and let it sit for awhile like a traditional marinade?

Teach me!

 

[GB]

Rubs are usually best if you rub them into the meat and then let them sit for a while. I will list my favorite rub recipe below. I use this one for everything from chicken to ribs to steak and sometimes even fish. I have rubbed this into the meat and let it sit for 24 hours and the flavors really penetrate deep into the meat. I have also rubbed this on and let sit for 5 minutes. It was still delicious, but the flavor was just on the exterior of the meat. It was not deep inside.

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

 

[AllenOK]

Rubs are basically just a mixture of herbs and spices that is rubbed into a meat item before it's cooked. It's not a marinade per se, but it does flavor the meat being cooked.

Rubs can be as easy as sprinkling some salt and pepper onto the skin of a chicken before you roast it. I actually use a mixture of 8 different herbs and spices for roast chicken. Most places I've worked use just kosher salt and cracked black pepper for roast beef.

For American-style southern BBQ, a rub is a mixture of herbs and spices that is applied liberally to a cut of meat, and allowed to sit for awhile to let the seasoning flavor the exterior of the meat, like a marinade. Then the cut is smoked at about 225°F for several hours to cook, flavor, and tenderize the meat.

I'm going to smoke a couple pork butts tomorrow. I've already got my rub applied to the pork, in my fridge. Tomorrow, I'm going to do a little smoke worship at my grill/altar and attempt to create a small piece of heaven on earth.

 

[Raine]

Rubs can be used in most any way you like. You can apply it just before putting the meat on the cook. The most common is as everyone else has stated, appply it and let it sit for a while. You can also mix rub in after the meat(chopped) has cooked.

 

[Haggis]

Thanks guys! I had gotten a number of rub recipes from here or other sources but was unsure as to the proper use. I always thought that since they were generally dry they went on just before cooking.

Now I should get better results when I apply it and let it marinade like usual.

 

[GB]

Let us know how your trials turn our Haggis. When applying the rub, don't be scared to rub it in well. I like to think of it like giving a good massage. You don't have to do it too hard, but you don't have to be gentle either

 

[Haggis]

Thats one thing I was doing correctly GB :P. Tell you what I couldve been a masseur with the treatment I gave my meat when applying the rub.

 

[Gossie]

Rubs are usually best if you rub them into the meat and then let them sit for a while. I will list my favorite rub recipe below. I use this one for everything from chicken to ribs to steak and sometimes even fish. I have rubbed this into the meat and let it sit for 24 hours and the flavors really penetrate deep into the meat. I have also rubbed this on and let sit for 5 minutes. It was still delicious, but the flavor was just on the exterior of the meat. It was not deep inside.

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM This sounds good, I have some chicken that's just dying to get rubbed!!!!!

 

[GB]

Let me know how you like it Gossie.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

GB; Your rub looks just like one of mine, except for the cinnamon. I think that would be a good addition.

Other rubs, depending on the meat might include more savory herbs such as onion, oregano, thyme, basil, olive oil, savory, etc.

You can use curry mixtures as rubs as well. Then there are spicier rubs that would have things like mustard powder, or various hot=dried peppers.

Create your own rubs using the herbs and spices, or flavorings you know and enjoy, as well as reaching out for new flavors. If you like a little lime with your beef, or fish, add it to the rub. If you like chili powder, then use GB's recipe.

And cooking over a fire, or smoking will definitely add to the dish. Try smoking with a good fruit wood such as apple or cherry. The alder family of woods is also great, as is maple, birch, cedar, and white oak. I would think red oak and other woods with a high tannic acid content would impart a somewhat bitter componant to the food and so would stay away from them. And most pines are off limits as they have some powerful resins that would just mess things up. Think pine tar or pine oil. Good for cleaning, for waterproofing old wooden ships, but not for food.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[VaporTrail]

Something I've run across is to use a touch of oil (I use EVOO on my steaks) or something else to help the rub to stay on the meat. Having the rub on the meat doesn't do as much good if it falls off halfway through cooking.

Nothing major, just maybe a 1/4 tsp of oil per steak.

 

[VeraBlue]

I prefer to do a rub at least a day in advance, and have been known to often do it 2 days in advace, especially for beef and pork.

 

[oneoffour]

Gday Haggis, I do a rub on a whole pork loin a day ahead. Put the loin on the cutting board spray it with a mist of vegetable oil and as others have post work the rub in. Any extra gets worked more on the fatty side. The meat then gets wrapped in plastic wrap and into the refrigerator until it is time to cook. Oh yeah I'll stab slivers of garlic into the meat before putting the rub on. The end result is a picture on a thread somewhere in this site.

 

[oneoffour]

The picture is on a thread 'Happy New Year Pork Loin'

 

[LadyCook61]

Rubs are usually best if you rub them into the meat and then let them sit for a while. I will list my favorite rub recipe below. I use this one for everything from chicken to ribs to steak and sometimes even fish. I have rubbed this into the meat and let it sit for 24 hours and the flavors really penetrate deep into the meat. I have also rubbed this on and let sit for 5 minutes. It was still delicious, but the flavor was just on the exterior of the meat. It was not deep inside.

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

sounds good, thanks for sharing the recipe.

 

[Chopstix]

I used a dry rub for the first time. My rub had 8 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons salt among other spices, and it was good for 2 slabs of ribs. I'm supposed to leave the rub on the slabs for 2 hours in the fridge before cooking.

My problem: After 2 hours the ribs ended up sitting in a significant amount of liquid.

I'm concerned about the salt extracting moisture from the meat. Is this a valid concern? Should I just hold the salt from the rub and add it to the meat right before
cooking?

 

[GB]

Every dry rub that I have ever seen has included salt. You do not have to worry about that at all. Did you make up that rub recipe yourself or did you get it somewhere? I have never seem one that has so much sugar or one that has nothing else other than sugar and salt.

 

[Chopstix]

Hi GB, thanks for your reply. It's Alton Brown's recipe. It has other spices along with the sugar and salt. I don't want the moisture pulled out of the meat before cooking...

 

[GB]

There is a technique known as dry brining. it is when salt is applied to meat a long time before cooking. initially the salt draws moisture out of the meat, but then as the salt dissolves the liquid is sucked back into the meat. i have never heard of this technique being used for ribs, but all rib rubs I have ever seen always contain salt so I would say you will be just fine. Let us know how they turn out.

 

[Chopstix]

The liquid in this case came out of the meat and stayed outside.

The ribs turned out pretty good actually, although at the back of my mind I kept thinking maybe they could have been more moist. Next time, I'll try holding the salt until the moment of cooking, just to compare results. Thanks GB!