Chrushed vs finely ground spices


 
j biesinger

j biesinger

TVWBB Platinum Member
When I make rubs I used to be diligent about finely grinding and mixing my spices. To the point where I would grind my k salt too and pass the whole mix through a sifter to catch any large pieces.

This all changed when I tried a rub in the style of the rendezvous. I used all whole seeds (cumin, coriander, mustard, pepper, celery, etc) and crushed them very coarsely (you could still recognize most spices on the ribs). I thought the end product was really interesting, each bite yielded a nice blast of flavor that kind of changed, depending on what spices made it in the bite.

I've tried it a couple of times since and I really like doing bbq this way. I just don't know if its the way to go in competition since judges don't take more than a bite or two. If I'm going to be spending time balancing my spice blends, it seems contradictory to let different ones shine through occasionally depending on the bite.

How do you all like your spice?
 
I like my spices fresh. That's my only prerequisite. The method of how finely they are ground doens't bother me much, or the outcome.



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If I go high heat, I like to grind them fine. I find that less seem to fall off when flipping etc. Also less prone to burn IMO than large pieces.

But I also like the look and texture of whole spices on occasion. How about both?
 
I salt meat first, separately, so whatever salt I use (usually kosher) is not ground. 'Sweet' or especially pungent spices (clove, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, et al.), or spices and herbs that are very hard (fenugreek, star anise, grains of paradise, fennel, dried rosemary, et al.) I grind the most finely so as not to be overwhelming in taste or texture.
 
Tom: I agree, I may be a little geeky but I just inventoried my spices and I'm going to try to keep track of my orders and figure out my usage so I can plan on keeping spices for no more than 6-12 months.

Joe: I like both too. I'm the opposite though, coarse for the grill and fine for q (mostly). I do find large pieces burn so maybe next time I'll try your method.

K: In the short time that I've been asking questions here, you never cease to impress me with the quality of your answers. Reading your replies usually results in me smacking my forehead, as you usually point out something obvious that I overlooked.

You are right, some spices need finer grinding, others dont.

And I'm coming around to the salt then rub technique. I tried it with my chinatown ribs since 5 spice doesnt have salt in it. Seemed like a better way to control the amount of salt, and get more spice on the meat.

To get back to the original question, I guess I was just looking to see what others, who make their own rubs, do. I suppose the other part of the question (competition) might be best discussed elsewhere.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

K: In the short time that I've been asking questions here, you never cease to impress me with the quality of your answers. Reading your replies usually results in me smacking my forehead, as you usually point out something obvious that I overlooked.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>There is absolutely almost nothing he doesn't know
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Except for my bbq rub which I made for the first time ever a few weeks ago (previously only used Texas BBQ Rub) I don't even measure out my rubs. Therefore, it is imperative I salt separately. I always tend to oversalt if eyeballing it into a rub. Im just not good at guestimating that stuff as in how much to put in the rub, and how much rub to use. So I salt the meat first, then i add the other spices, usually right onto the meat (instead of a mixing bowl) and mix around!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">So I salt the meat first, then i add the other spices, usually right onto the meat (instead of a mixing bowl) and mix around! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

awesome, sounds like a great way to do it, who wants to clean a bowl anyways? then again I'd end up having to clean the kitchen when I was done flinging spices.

I hope you take some notes when you cook, you might make the best rub ever and wont be able to repeat it. I guess thats why I cant be so cavalier.
 
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