Spice Rub

SOUL FOOD COLUMN - SPICE RUB

Spice rub is any mixture of ground spices that is made for the purpose of being rubbed on raw food before the food is cooked. The spice rub forms a coat on the food. The food can be marinated in the spice rub for some time for the flavors to incorporate, or it can be cooked immediately after it is coated in the rub. The spices are usually coarsely ground.

In addition to spices, salt and sugar may be added to the rub, the salt for flavor and the sugar for caramelization. The simplest rub is just coarsely ground black pepper as in Steak au poivre.

Spice rubs can also have ingredients like herbs, crushed garlic or oil added to make a paste. The spice rub can be left on or partially removed before cooking.

Spice rubs are mainly used for preparing meats and fish. There are a large number of different recipes for rubs and most of them are targeted towards a specific kind of food.

The exact combination of spices that makes a good rub for a particular kind of food varies from region to region and culture to culture.

BBQ BRISKET RUB

2 tablespoons kosher or coarse salt
2 teaspoons black pepper, ground
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon oregano leaves, dried
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Mix ingredients together in bowl and apply rub to brisket 2 to 4 hours before cooking. Refrigerate meat for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours to enhance flavor.

BEST ODDS RIB RUB

This rub is your "best odds" to smoking great set of ribs. This savory rub will add a lot of flavor without detracting from the natural flavor of the meat.

1/3 cup paprika
3 tablespoons dry mustard
3 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground basil
1 tablespoon red pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt

Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container. When applying to ribs, coat heavily and massage into the meat. If you want to make a sweet rub add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar