The Royal Chef At Home: Easy Seasonal Entertaining

RUBS Rubs are mixes of spices and seasoning that add flavor but don’t tenderize. Dry rubs are just what they sound like, a collection of dry seasonings that make a powdery mix. A wet rub will have the same dry ingredientswith the additionof oil, sugar, mustard or even soy sauce to make a kind of spreadable paste. Salt is a key component to both dry and wet rubs, and salt tends to initially draw out moisture from a protein. However, if you leave the dry rub on longer, the meat will begin to reabsorb the moisture and take all the flavorings with it inside the muscle. Rubs, both wet and dry, also create an exterior rim of flavor around the protein. Just like it sounds, rubs are meant to be rubbed onto your meat. To get the best results, make sure your protein is patted dry before you give it a good coating. I like to use dry rubs for

seafood, fish, lamb chops and pork tenderloins, or a premium cut of steak that doesn’t need to be tenderized. Dry rubs are also great for fatty cuts of meat like pork shoulder or butt, short ribs or anything that will cook slowly but have enough fat to literally self-baste. Wet rubs are good for grilling meat or vegetables that might need a bit more moisture. I like to use wet rubs for things like Tri Tip, flank, veggie kebabs and even potato hobo packs. Wet rubs can also be used in slow cooking for baby back ribs and chicken drumsticks. In Texas it seems that rubs are more popular for barbecuing and grilling than marinades. Certainly every grill master seems to have a “special recipe” held as a close family secret. Well, I am more than happy to share my rub recipe with you, and I think you will really like it.

MY BBQ RUB

1 cup coarse kosher salt ½ cup coarse black pepper ¼ cup smoked paprika ¼ cup dry English mustard powder ¼ cup ancho chili powder

¼ cup garlic powder ¼ cup dried thyme ½ cup soft brown sugar

Mix all of the ingredients together and store in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for several months.

85 SUMMER · INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT