for any who are unfamiliar with rubs or sauces, this is an excerpt from my cookbook - You Can Be A Great Cook With Pork. Since I am the author, I give myself permission to use it.
I only hope it is helpful.
Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
The flavor of pork lends itself wonderfully to both sweet and savory flavorings. Though, like most meats, pork benefits from the added juiciness derived from brines, and work famously with marinades as well. Alternately, there are nearly limitless varieties of sauces and rubs.
A rub is a mixture of ingredients that is blended together and literally massaged onto the meat, which is then refrigerated for a few hours to let the flavorings permeate the pork. It is left on during the cooking process. Rubs can be either savory, sweet, and can contain some heat from peppers. Use rubs when you want intense flavor.
There are savory sauces, but most are usually sweet. The meat is basted during the cooking process with the sauce. Thin sauces are used for large pieces that require long cooking times. Thicker sauces are used on small, quick cooking cuts and are applied during the last few minutes of cooking.
There are as many recipes for pork rubs and sauces as there are people who cook. For that reason, we will explore a few basic recipes. Use instructions will be given with later recipes.
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Rubs:
As stated above, rubs are broken into two basic categories, savory, and sweet. Savory flavors include pungent herbs, spices, and flavorings such as oregano, sage, coriander, cilantro, paprika, black pepper, and salt . Sweet rubs will contain ingredients like molasses, brown sugar, white sugar, sweet basil, sweet peppers, etc. Both usually incorporate universal flavors such as onion, and garlic.
There are no hard-fast rules to determine when you will use the savory rubs versus their sweet cousins. Just remember to balance the meal.
The first few rubs are savory. Care must be taken to control the salt flavor. They work as well when you are barbecuing with smoky hardwoods as with an oven-baked crown roast.
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Italian Herb Rub
This rub can be used with pasta, or anti-pasta, and makes pork an ideal companion for Brochette. It can be used with chops, roasts, ribs, and steaks. Be careful with this though. The strong, pungent flavors can easily overpower the delicate pork. The idea is to enhance and compliment the meat, not replace it. In other works, a little goes a long way.
Ingredients:
1 tsp. dried Oregano
1 tsp. dried Basil
1/4 tsp. Rosemary
1/4 tsp. Powdered Thyme
1/4 tsp. Rubbed Sage
2 tbs. Coarse Black Pepper
tsp. Salt
1 dried Bay Leaf
tsp. dried Fennel
Place all ingredients into a suitable airtight container and shake vigorously. Store in a cool-dry place.
You may want to pulverize this mixture in a blender. But it's not essential to do so.
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Savory Rub
As its name implies, this rub will impart a savory flavor to the pork. So the pork should be served with sweet flavored vegetables or fruits to balance the plate. A classic example would be to serve savory pork ribs with applesauce and a European style salad. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
tsp. Rubbed Sage
2 tbs. Coarse Black Pepper
tsp. Powdered Thyme
1 tbs. Spanish Paprika
1 tsp. dried Parsley Flakes
1 tbs. Granulated Garlic Powder
1 tbs. Granulated Onion Powder
1 tsp. Salt
Place in an airtight container and shake vigorously. Store in cool-dry and dark place.
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Mexican Rub
Ingredients:
OLE! This rub will allow pulled pork to be used in tacos, tamales, burritos, sopa, chili con carne, and with a host od other south American, and Southwestern recipes.
2 tbs. Spanish Paprika
tsp. Granulated Garlic
1 tsp. Granulated Onion Powder
tsp. Red Pepper (Cayenne Pepper)
1 tsp. Dried Parsley Flakes
3 fresh-chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. Coriander
tsp. Salt
Place in an airtight container and shake vigorously. Store in a cool-dry place.
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Oriental Essentials Rub
Pork is used in so many oriental dishes. Its sweet flavor compliments the colorful stir-fries and tempura dishes. This rub will help bring out the flavor of pork.
Ingredients:
tsp. Granulated Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Granulated Onion Powder
tsp. MSG (optional)
1/8 tsp. Chinese 5-Spice Powder
2 tbs. Dried Celery Leaves or tsp. Celery Seed
Combine in an airtight container, shake vigorously and store in a cool, dark place.
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Deep South Nut Rub
Aw Nuts! I know, bad pun (heavy sigh). I just can't help myself. To make it up to you, I give you my version of Deep South Nut Rub. And I'm not talking about a good back massage with peanut oil Hmmm. I wonder how that would feel. But then I'd smell like peanut butter. Guess I'd better put that idea to rest. But feel free to massage this nutty rub into your pork. Nuts and pork go surprisingly well together. And for a treat, substitute your favorite nuts for the ones in this recipe. You can change the oil to sesame, or walnut oil, replace the peanuts with crushed filberts, or Brazil nuts, or even macadamia nuts. Be creative. Your family will thank you. But please, hold the nut puns to a minimum. I’m enough of a nut for this world.
Ingredients:
1/8 tsp. Sesame Oil
1/4 cup finely chopped Peanuts
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Coarse-Grind Black Pepper
1 tbs. Paprika
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Mushroom Rub
Fungus, how I love fungus. I serve it with my pork, with my beef, in soups, stews, and chowders, or just plain, fried in a little butter. Oh, wait. I'm getting carried away. Mushrooms come in such a variety of textures and flavors, from the powerful flavor of morels, to the delicate chanterelle. But any way you use ‘em, I like ‘em. This rub uses mushrooms to add a touch of elegance to the pork, transforming the humble pig to an elegant meat, suitable for your mother-in-law.
Ingredients:
2 tbs. Dry Mushroom Powder (or dry your mushrooms in a warm-not-hot oven and then put in blender)
tbs. Granulated Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Granulated Onion Powder
tsp. Salt
tsp. Black Pepper
Place in an airtight container, shake vigorously, and store in a cool-dark place.
My Favorite Rub
Ingredients:
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbs granulated onion powder
2 tbs. Granulayed Garlic powder
2 tbs smokedpaprika
1 tbs. Salt
2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
3 tbs. Chili powder
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, use on ribs, pork roasts, in the oven, in the slow cooker, on the smoker, or enven on the barbecue. This run is even great mixed ion with pulled pork.
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Sauces
Like rubs, sauces are used to add flavor and improve the meat quality. But unlike rubs, you can marinate and baste with the sauces over time to create a rich flavor that completely permeates the meat. Combine those flavors with that of the smoke and you have created a thing of beauty. Enjoy.
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Smokey Barbecue Sauce
This sauce is classic. It's the basic idea used throughout the South and at all barbecue cook-offs. Just remember, the basic recipe is just that, a basic recipe. Every barbecuer worth his salt will have his or her own secret variant on this theme. You can add peppers, vinegar, herbs & spices, wines, whatever you want. These can be wet or dry rubs. The choice is totally yours.
A word of caution is in order here. Most barbecue sauces and rubs contain a fair amount of sugar. That means it will burn easily. So when you are using a barbecue sauce, don't add it until the last few minutes of cooking time.
If you water down the sauce, and cook slowly over a slow fire, you can marinate the meat with it before cooking, then baste with it every fifteen to twenty minutes. But any way you use it, it will make your pork taste great.
Ingredients:
cup Dark-Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp. Mesquite or Hickory Liquid Smoke Flavoring
1 cup tomato Sauce
2 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp. Mustard Powder
tsp. Granulated Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Granulated Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
green Bell Pepper, chopped
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat while stirring until the Peppers are soft. Pour the cooked contents into a blender and liquefy for 15 seconds. Pour into a suitable container and refrigerate.
If using as a marinade, and/or basting sauce, thin to the consistency of vegetable soup. Use as needed.
