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Rubbing it in: Homemade for the Holidays

UP IN SMOKE
Rubbing it in: Homemade for the Holidays
December 11th, 2013
 

Dear Up in Smoke Subscriber,

Still looking for that gift that will leave your favorite griller gobsmacked, but don’t feel like braving the crowds or arctic-like temperatures? I have a solution (or more precisely, powder): a bespoke batch of barbecue rub you whip up in the comfort of your own kitchen.

I remember when few folks outside competition barbecue circles used—or had even heard of—dry rubs. Today, it’s hard to imagine barbecuing or grilling without these crust-forming, flavor-boosting, palate-blasting mixtures of herbs and spices. Rubs make good barbecue great and great barbecue the stuff of legends. They’re that powerful.

Fortunately, rubs are super easy to create at home using ingredients you likely have on hand already. They take minutes to mix up, are infinitely customizable, and are always appreciated by the grilling enthusiast(s) on your holiday gift list.

A dry rub—wet rubs are a topic for another day—is a mixture of herbs, spices, and seasonings. There are many examples of traditional spice mixes around the world’s barbecue trail—Morocco’s ras el hanout, for example, or France’s quatre epices or China’s five-spice powder, to name a few.

In America, where pit masters use rubs with greater imagination and with a freer hand than anywhere else on Planet Barbecue, rub preferences—just like barbecue itself—follow predictable regional lines.

  • In the South and Midwest, for example, barbecue rubs play a variation on a theme of salt, pepper, paprika, and brown sugar, with onion or garlic powder or celery or mustard seed for aromatic counterpoint.
  • Texas brisket masters use a no-nonsense blend of coarse salt and cracked or coarsely ground black pepper (in roughly equal parts), sometimes igniting the mixture with hot pepper flakes.
  • As you move west, rubs acquire the south-of-the-border accents of chili powder, cumin, and oregano.
  • In my neck of the woods (Miami, Florida), rubs dance to a tropical beat in the form of sazon (a salt, garlic, and oregano rub from Puerto Rico) or a scotch bonnet- and allspice-blasted dry jerk rub from Jamaica.
  • Then there are what you might call the “maverick” rubs—rubs flavored with offbeat ingredients you wouldn’t normally associate with barbecue, like cocoa powder, wasabi, or ground coffee.

The most successful rubs for meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables play to the five flavors that can be detected by human taste receptors—sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami—the deep meaty flavor associated with mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, or MSG.

So what do you need to get started? Little more than a mixing bowl and your fingers or a whisk. And some cool-looking jars or tins to package your homemade spice masterpieces.

Here are six tips for blending the perfect rub every time.

  1. Replace any out-of-date herbs and spices before starting the project. Pitch any you know to be over 6 months old, including that big jar of paprika you bought during the Clinton administration. Restaurant supply houses, big box stores, and high-turnover markets that cater to an ethnic clientele often have the best deals.
  2. For superior flavor, toast any whole spices in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat until fragrant. Cool, then grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. (I dedicate a separate one to spices so my morning coffee isn’t laced with cumin.) A mortar and pestle also works if you enjoy doing things the old-fashioned way. (And what’s more old-fashioned than homemade gifts?)
  3. If you’ve never made your own rub before, I recommend following a basic recipe before striking out on your own. You can always put your own spin on it—see my suggestions for personalizing that recipe.
  4. Strive for interesting texture and color. Use crumbled, dried, small whole or coarsely ground spices and seeds, and vibrantly colored spices like paprika or turmeric to jazz up your rub.
  5. Even if it goes against your instincts, accurately measure the ingredients and record the recipe. That way, you can replicate your successes. The receiver may expect more of your special rub next year.
  6. Include instructions for storage (store in a dry place away from heat and light) and use (figure on 2 to 4 teaspoons of rub per pound of meat, fish, or poultry). For an extra generous touch: share one of your favorite barbecue recipes featuring this rub.

Have a killer rub recipe? Or did you come up with one after reading this newsletter? Post your photos and recipes on the Barbecue Board. Seriously, folks. Make our mouths water!

And if you’re really pressed for time as the holidays approach, take a shortcut by giving that special barbecuer in your life one of my Best of Barbecue rubs. I’ve done all the work for you. Enjoy!

Yours in righteous grilling,

Steven Raichlen

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