Dry Rubs

peachexploration · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 61 Location: Florida

Some of the best ways to season meats are dry rubs. They take much less time than marinades and in some instances, have more flavor. Here are a few recipes:

For Turkey, try

2 teaspoons onion salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For BBQ Ribs, Memphis Style, try

6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons coarse salt, such as kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For Cajun Spicy, try

2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, ground
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons onion flakes
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Salt

You can also make these ahead and keep in airtight container upto six months.

tj · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 39

Dry rubs are my favorite way to season meat before throwing it on the grill.

My basic rub (which I'll enhance depending on what meat I'm using or what style I'm trying to emulate):

Equal Parts:

Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Sugar

Often, I'll go 2 parts sugar, because it's unnoticeable otherwise. And I'll go with garlic or onion or celery salt. And often use Lemon Pepper, too.

squirrel · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 96 Location: Bucharest, Romania

:( I don't like sugar in my food!!!

tj · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 39

squirrel wrote: :( I don't like sugar in my food!!!

Lol! This is a good example of why sometimes it's better to not tell someone the ingredients of something that you've cooked.

:wink:

salsachinita · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 2:18 pm Post subject:

The role sugar plays in this case is NOT to sweeten, but to caramelize.

BTW, I agree with you 100% there, TJ 8) !

tj · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 39

salsachinita wrote: The role sugar plays in this case is NOT to sweeten, but to caramelize.

BTW, I agree with you 100% there, TJ 8) !

One theory that I heard that makes sense is that you want to activate as many taste buds as possible to make food flavorful. So if the target tastes are sweet, sour, and salty (while leaving out bitter), then it makes sense to have a little of each to a dish w/o overpowering it with any one of those tastes.

squirrel · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 96 Location: Bucharest, Romania

:) no sugar for me thanks! and I usually sense it on the spot!

tj · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 39

Actually, a good topic for the Healthy Eating forum would probably be, Hidden Sugar in Foods.

Like how much sugar is your typical tomato sauce, for example.

Then again, this could be a U.S. problem more than Europe.

Jonathan · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 104 Location: San Diego

tj wrote: Actually, a good topic for the Healthy Eating forum would probably be, Hidden Sugar in Foods.

Like how much sugar is your typical tomato sauce, for example.
Good idea tj... why don't you start it up? :wink:

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

In Japanese cooking, they use a LOT of sugar, which shocked me at first. In sukiyaki, for example, a heaping half cup of sugar is dumped into the pot while it cooks. Teriyaki sauce is also pretty sweet. Some yakitori restaurants give you a choice of "salted" or "teriyaki"(I prefer salted). I use sugar when I cook Japanese recipes but reduce the amount a bit, as it is usually too sweet for my liking.

Yeah, read a bottle(or jar) of your favorite food spread/dip or sauce and the label will probably disclose that it contains a lot of sugar! (That's why I always make my own!)

Jonathan · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 104 Location: San Diego

Don't forget sodium... the sodium content on almost all processed foods is shocking to say the least! :shock:

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

Jonathan wrote: Don't forget sodium... the sodium content on almost all processed foods is shocking to say the least! :shock:
Instant Ramen & most soups are the worst!

Jonathan · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 104 Location: San Diego

cocodrilo wrote: Jonathan wrote: Don't forget sodium... the sodium content on almost all processed foods is shocking to say the least! :shock:
Instant Ramen & most soups are the worst!
Yup, soups and sauces tend to be the most flagrant offenders :( ... but the ammount of sodium added to almost every processed food item is just shocking (See? --> :shock: :shock: :shock: ).

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

Jonathan wrote: cocodrilo wrote: Jonathan wrote: Don't forget sodium... the sodium content on almost all processed foods is shocking to say the least! :shock:
Instant Ramen & most soups are the worst!
Yup, soups and sauces tend to be the most flagrant offenders :( ... but the ammount of sodium added to almost every processed food item is just shocking (See? --> :shock: :shock: :shock: ).
The medicos attribute the high incidence of colon cancer in Japan to their high intake of sodium(and low intake of fiber!)- miso, soy sauce, pickles are all eaten on a daily basis.