Grill and Barrel

In BBQ circles, you'll hear lots of talk about "rubs". So, I thought I'd take a minute to level set what a rub is. Simply put, it's a combination of spices applied to the outside of a piece of meat that result in the crispy outer crust that is often found on BBQ. The name is derived from the method of application.  Usually the rub is applied by vigorously rubbing into all the nooks and crannies of piece of meat you plan to BBQ.

Rubs can be as simple as salt and pepper, or very complex as found in commercially available rubs. Generally speaking, rubs are comprised of 1/3 salt, 1/3 sugar, 1/3 other seasoning to taste depending on the cut of meat that you're applying it to. If you want to try your hand at making a rub, keep these proportions in mind.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be writing reviews of some of the rubs that I've used over the past year or so. I'll also share a couple of basic rubs that I've used with success.

Cheers,

Braddog