Dry Rub Recipes for a Great Start Barbeque Start

There has always been a debate among barbeque pros whether a Dry Rub is really necessary or not. Without a doubt, I would have to say..."I don't know". It seems to be great for some meats and marginal for others. One thing is for sure, however. A dry rub does not "hurt" anything.

I tend to use them myself. You can taste the difference in the meat and if, at the end, it needs more flavor, more seasoning can be added. Needing more seasoning is rare because barbeque that is cooked right can usually stand on its own. I would even go as far to say it never needs much seasoning if done right. But unless you're a bbq pro, go ahead and use a dry rub. It may foolproof your meat.

Here are some basic dry rub recipes that I have found to work best on certain cuts of meat. Give them a try and adjust them to your taste if you like to experiment.

One trick that really brings out the flavor of the seasonings is to put all the dry ingredients from a recipe into a coffee grinder and "pulse" it a few times.

This dry rub recipe seems to work best on either a beef brisket or a beef roast.

1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coarse ground pepper
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup dried garlic
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Mix all ingredients together and store in the fridge. It makes enough for 2 or 3 "well rubbed" briskets.

I like this dry rub on pork ribs, either spareribs or baby-back ribs. This will do a couple of racks of baby-back ribs.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Paprika
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients. Apply to meat and regrigerate for at least an hour before cooking. Save any unused portion in a zip-lock back in the refrigerator.

This recipe works well with pulled pork barbeque(bbq pork butt).

1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons course ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Same as others. Mix together well. This one makes rub for just one butt, but you can double it if you need more.

Use this one on one whole chicken, or double for 2.

1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons course ground pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin

Rub on chicken directly or coat in a plastic storage bag. Make sure chicken is dry before putting on the rub. Put on low heat on your grill for about one hour until golden brown.

Here's an interesting one for grilled fish, Cajun Style. Rub onto catfish or any "firmer" fish.

1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely ground white pepper

Mix well and cover catfish filets or whole fish with this rub. Cook quickly over high heat to get that delicious "blackened" effect.

All of these dry rub recipes are very flexible and adjustable. And the types of meats to use each one for are just general guidlines. Most rubs will work well for just about any meat. Experiment with them and enjoy your barbeque!

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