BBQ Tips

Dry Rub Tips

A dry rub is essentially a dry marinade. You sprinkle it liberally on the meat and let it marinate for at least six hours and as long as over-night. The dry rub will season the meat and great flavor to the "bark" on the surface. Bark is that highly seasoned crust that forms on the outside of the meat and it's what keeps moisture inside

What you don't want to do is literally "rub" the dry rub into the meat. Rubbing it in will clog the pores of the meat and the smoke won't penetrate. Clogged pores will also hinder what's called the "sweating." All smoked meats sweat during the cooking process. The pores of the meat literally open up and release moisture. When this happens, the smoke and dry rub seasoning are absorbed into the meat. This forms that dark, caramelized, spicy outer bark. If the pores are clogged, the meat can't sweat, the bark doesn't form, and the meat will be mushy and not nearly as flavorful.

Most dry rubs are a mixture of salt, sugar, paprika, chile powder, pepper, and assorted spices. Adding spices to the basic mix is how you come up with a flavor that will be uniquely your own. You can also purchase many excellent barbecue dry rubs from spice and food suppliers.