Preparing Meats using Dry Rubs

Preparing Meats using Dry Rubs - Anonymous person drying mirror with squeegee

I have recently begun testing different types of dry rubs in preparing meat dishes. What base ingredients (outside of spice blends) should I be looking for in a good quality dry rub? If it is allowed, I'd appreciate if you could share products that contain the ingredients you are recommending.

meatspices


Best Answer

Premade blends

If you're trying to buy something premade, look for blends without filler ingredients. For example, if you see sugar or salt as the first ingredient, that's a bad sign. Sometimes you'll also see large amounts of garlic or onion powder. Yes, you may often want salt and even sugar in your rubs, but you'll probably be happier adding them yourselves than paying a dollar an ounce for them.

It's also a great sign if they list all the ingredients, not just "spices".

And of course, you want it to not be old, since ground spices lose potency over time, but that's hard to tell without opening it. You may be able to get a sense for decent brands, or know that your store replenishes stock frequently so it hasn't sat on the shelf forever.

Beyond that, it's mostly up to your preferences. You'll just have to learn what spices you tend to like. It can be the highest quality in the world but if you don't like the spices, you won't like the rub. Keep in mind that different things do taste better with different meats; if you want a starting place, look for recipes with that meat, and then look for premade rubs with similar ingredients.

If you can't find anything you like in your own grocery stores, but still want to look for premade, don't give up. Just start looking toward smaller producers. Sure, they may not be in your grocery store, but there may be some great local places, and a lot of them have online presence now so you can use other people's local places too!

Just to give you the spirit of the idea... Your profile says you're in Chicago - I've heard of The Spice House there (since they also sell online), and they do seem to have some rubs. I don't know if enough good barbecue has made it up there, but if you can find any barbecue restaurants that sell rubs, that could be a good bet too. (I ate at this place last time I was back home in Texas and they even sell some seasonings online. Haven't tried them, but the barbecue was certainly good!)

Making your own

This is really an incredibly broad question, as you can see from the breadth of recipes you'll find if you search for recipes for rubs. There are really no "base ingredients" that make a rub good. As with premade things, your spice preferences will be personal, and depend on what you're using it on too.

But all that is really good news. You can find tons and tons of recipes online; trying a few and seeing what kinds of things you like will get you pretty far. In particular, if you grind your own spices, basically everything will be awesome, and your favorites will be down to personal preference. So we can't really tell you which ones you'll like best, but you can start to find out, and if you're grinding up single batches, you won't be wasting much along the way.



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Quick Answer about "Preparing Meats using Dry Rubs"

  • Pat your meat dry with a paper towel. You want to make sure as much moisture is removed as possible from the surface of the meat.
  • Sprinkle the dry rub onto the meat.
  • Using your hands, rub the spices onto the meat. Rub over the surface like you are trying to rub cream into your own skin.


    • How long before cooking do you apply dry rub?

    For the best results, a rub needs time to work its flavor magic. So how long do you leave dry rub on steak, chicken, turkey, or pork? Allow the BBQ rub to rest on the food 15 minutes to 2 hours (and up to several hours if you've got time) before cooking.

    Do you apply dry rub before or after cooking?

    You should apply the rub before you cook the food. This treatment allows the rub to permeate the food, adding flavor and, in some cases, texture in the form of a crisp crust.

    Can you marinate meat with a dry rub?

    Oh, yes. We love dry rubs. We prefer them to marinades almost every time. That's right: When it comes to seasoning meat and developing a exceptionally-textured exterior, nothing beats a dry rub.

    Should dry rubs be marinated?

    The quick answer: In addition to adding flavor, a marinade also tenderizes meat, while a dry rub does not. As the name implies, a dry rub has no liquid component and usually consists of spices such as brown sugar, salt, paprika and cumin.


    Making Dry Rubbed Ribs



    More answers regarding preparing Meats using Dry Rubs

    Answer 2

    Like the wikipedia (*) says, spice rubs melange are highly personal.

    I don't think there is a proper answer to your question.

    IMO, everything goes... (or nearly everthing)

    It depends on the type (and/or ethnicity) of the spice rub and the type of meat or fish.

    If wanting a more of a sweet flavour, then add some more sugar (dark sugar) and spices related to sweets like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger all-spice, .. ; if wanting a more savoury flavour, then use more salt and savoury spices and herb (thyme, mustard, celery salt, .. )

    Hot pepper (powder or flakes) can be added to both savoury or sweeter rubs (to taste)

    ... Experiment, Experiment...

    (*) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_rub

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Karolina Grabowska, Keira Burton, Andrea Piacquadio, Karolina Grabowska

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