As the masses begin to uncover their grills and smokers for the season of Barbecue and Grilling, many wonder what will set theirs apart from the rest. The answer? A good rub can make a world of difference. Sure, a good barbecue sauce is still a good thing to have to compliment your meal, but the seasoning is the key.

A rub, is commonly referred to as a dry marinade, many times, it can actually bring more flavor to your barbecue than a liquid marinade, especially when used in a similar fashion.

Ok, lets look at the ingredient make-up of the barbecue dry rub, first, most barbecue rubs will contain the following basic ingredients;

Kosher Salt

White Sugar

Black Pepper

Paprika

These ingredients are typically used in fairly equal amounts, and other spices, and sugars can be thrown in to enhance flavor based on the type of meat your cooking. A few of these additional ingredients are:

Spices

Celery Salt

Cumin

Chili powder

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic or Garlic Salt

Sugars

Brown Sugar

Turbinado Sugar

Demerara Sugar

Golden Granulated Sugar

The most important thing to remember about putting a good dry rub together is balance. A good balance of flavors is key to complimenting the meats natural flavor, versus covering it up.

Once we have our ingredients established, along with their measurements, we can now use them on our bbq. On thicker cuts of meat, such as pork shoulder cuts, or beef brisket, we will want to give ample marinate time for the flavors to work into the meat. On these thicker cuts, you will want at least 4 to 6 hours at a minimum, but ideally 10 to 12 hours is best. On thinner cuts such as pork ribs, or steaks, you should be looking for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour, and ideally 4 to 6 hours.Another key to using a rub is to work the rub into the meat.

When you apply a bbq rub, you can apply it over a wet base, such as mustard, or oil (olive or canola). This is called a wet rub application, and can help the rub adhere to the surface of the meat. The most popular way to apply a rub is to shake it on heavy and dry. Once this is done, it is important to work it in, or massage it into the meat. This will help the rub flavor penetrate much quicker.

Always, before putting your meat in the cooker, allow time for the rub to melt into the surface of the meat. This process will not only allow for the flavor to penetrate, it will also aid in the formation of what us bbq'ers refer to as “bark”. Bark is a crust that forms on the outside of the meat while cooking.

Now that I have given you the basics, your turn! But, I will give a great all purpose BBQ Rub that works especially well on pork, and chicken. Enjoy!

Basic BBQ Rub

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

1/2 cup paprika

1/3 cup garlic salt

1/4 cup kosher salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper