Backyard events are great, but some have a higher calling to become the best outdoor cook they can.  If you are wanting to reach that lofty position without experiencing extreme vertigo, then we have the answers for you.

Today's Topic: Rub Me Tender, ...       Rub Me Sweet

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Keep On Barbecue'n,
Charlie McMurrey

P.S. FIRE UP THE GRILL!

Rub Me Tender, Rub Me Sweet

If you're as old as we are, you'll remember Elvis' Love Me Tender, which, by the way, the first motion picture ever made by Presley which was released in 1956.  Great song and a great movie.  However, in keeping with our theme today, we have modified the words just a bit to:

Rub me tender, Rub me sweet, Never let me go.
You have made my life complete, And I love you so.

Basically, a dry rub consists of dry spices and herbs which are FIRST mixed together thoroughly and SECONDLY applied to the meat before cooking.  The concept is really quite simply, however it is our desire to encourage your use of the technique, particularly if your primary technique is to marinating your meat, or worse yet, simply throwing it on the grill to cook.  Some folks will also add sugar to the rub which we will discuss shortly.

USES OF DRY RUBS: Dry rubs can be used on most all meats.  They are excellent when used on beef, pork, kabobs, chicken, etc.  They are also often used on fish and vegetables.  When using a dry rub, be not sure to over-power the natural flavor of the meats.  Quite often a little dry rub will go much further than you might anticipate.  Use a dry rub as you would a heavy coating of salt and pepper.  You might also keep in mind that when cooking with a dry rub, the heat will make the spices more mellow and less strong.  So, if you have a rub that might seem a little strong to the taste before applying to the meat, it might be just fine after cooking.

DRY RUB INGREDIENTS:  Dry rubs can consist of all spices and herbs that are not fresh.  They should be as fresh as possible.  If you have a spice house in your town or they can let you know when they receive fresh shipments of spices and herbs then you will be obtaining the freshest ingredients possible.  There are an untold number of spices that can be used in a dry rub.  The following are just a few of the available dry ingredients used for rubs:

Allspice, Anise, Bay Leaf, Caraway, Cardamom, Cassia, Cayenne Pepper, Cilantro, Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Cubeb, Cumin, Chile -Dill, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon Grass, Licorice, Mace, Mint, Mustard, Nutmeg, Onion, Paprika, Pepper, Poppy Seed, Saffron, Sesame, Star Anise, Sumac, Szechwan Pepper, Tamarind, Turmeric, ..... and the list goes on! 

SUGARS: Many, including Smoky will argue that, with the addition of sugar to your rub, you are setting yourself up for a burned exterior to the meat.  It is true that too much heat for too long a period of time will cause the rub to become chared, probably more than you wish.  Others, and probably the majority of folks, believe in adding small amounts of sugars to the rub which, if not heated too long a period or for lower temperatures, will create a nice camarilization effect.  You will have to practice and get it perfect.  Bottom line, Paul Kirk ["The Barron of Barbecue"] uses some sugars in his rubs while Smoky does not.  See Smoky's articles on Building Your Own Recipes - see links below.

WHEN TO APPLY:  Again, there are about as many opinions as there are people.  The one constant that you need to keep in mind is the fact that SALT will draw moisture from the meat.  So, if you are using a salt based rub then you might want to get it to the grill sooner than maybe with a herb or sugar based rub.

STORAGE:  Exposure to air, light and heat will deteriorate all spices so try to keep them all in a location which minimizes this exposure.  Once mixed together, you should store your rub in an air-tight container (preferably glass or plastic) in the freezer.  Spices will not be harmed by freezing temperatures.  If a freezer is not available, then a cool dark place will suffice.  The freezing will only server to keep the seasoning fresher for future use.

TIPS ON PREPARING/USING DRY RUBS: 

• Try using kosher salt or sea salt for better "salt flavors"
• Brown sugars have too much moisture in them to be useful as a dry rub ingredient
• Paprika and chili powder are great standard ingredients for adding color to your dry rub and meats
• When seasoning poultry, loosen the skin from the meat and get the seasonings in between.
• Store in airtight, cool dry location - not longer than a year
• Once you have your dry rub recepe, use a seasoning shaker for application
• Add a little more of the flavors you like and maybe a little less of the ones you don't care that much for
• Use fresh spices where possible.  Grind your pepper etc, when you can
• Don't be afraid to try something different - Play with your food!

STORE BOUGHT SEASONINGS:  These work, but they take all the FUN out of preparing different techniques and flavors.  There are some decent ones on the grocery shelves ... such as Montréal steak seasoning (for steaks), Old Bay, Cajun Seasonings and some local blends.  The Barbecue Store also has some great dry rubs which might also be available in your local stores - The Barbecue Store - Seasoning & Flavoring - Dry Rubs

      CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONINGS:

A QUICK NOTE ABOUT WET-RUBS:  Also known as spice pastes, they are similar to the dry rubs with the exception of adding a liquid such as water, apple juice, olive oil or even yogurt to create a thick paste which is then applied, or smeared, on the meat.

In summary, dry rubs are probably the most popular form of adding stronger flavors to your meats.  Enjoy!

 PS: You might also want to visit Smoky's: 

•  Building Your Own Recipes - Part One Smoky takes time to walk you through the process of building a recipe and discussion of the ingredients. Recipes are created to be tinkered with!
• Building Your Own Recipes - Part Two Once you have a thorough understanding of what a recipe is and is not, Smoky next takes you through an understanding of herbs and spices.
• Building Your Own Recipes - Part Three Salt and Sugar are probably the two most common ingredients of any recipes with the salt being the most common.
• Building Your Own Recipes - Part Four FINALLY, Smoky approaches the actual preperation of a spice rub and Sauces.

REFERENCES & TOOLS:	Grilling Baskets | Tailgating Items| Gas Grill Parts|  Outdoor Heaters | Heavy Duty Grill Covers | Chimenea Products
OTHER PREPERATION IDEAS:	Don't keep secrets, tell a good friend to sign up for the newsletter! | Barbecued Pork Ribs | Shoulders & Butts | Building a Better Brisket | Beginner's Section

Looking for a specific answer? More than likely you will find that answer in one of the links below. If not, send your question to Smoky and he will take a stab at getting you back on the right track! Have fun and keep on keeping on Barbecue'n and Grillin'. Ask Smoky's - Collector's Edition FAQ's Ask Smoky's - New & Improved FAQ's

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Kirk's Poultry Barbecue Rub --- by Paul Kirk Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue Book

Per Paul Kirk: This recipe is a backyard special for grilling or smoking.  Makes about 1 cup of seasoning.

Click for larger view

 1/3rd sweet Hungarian paprika
 1/4th cup granulated cane sugar
 2 Tbs seasoned salt
 2 Tbs celery salt
 2 Tbs finely ground black pepper
 1 Tbs granulated garlic
 1 Tbs dry mustard
 2 tsp dried basil leaves
 2 tsp dried lemon zest
 1 tsp cayenne pepper

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend well. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.  Enjoy!


Old Smokey Contest Winner
Each newsletter we give away one heck of a grill to one of our lucky readers. By far, the Old Smokey Grill is our largest selling portable charcoal grill because of its durability and ability to produce great tasting food. There is only one winner each month! The winner of this month's Old Smokey Grill - #18 is:

                                       Debbie Jackson    

Hey Debbie, please send us the email address used when you signed up for the Smoke 'n Fire Enquirer and we'll validate your address. Congratulations! For everyone else, we'll have a new contest next month and will be drawing from the same list you are on!




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