<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Besisdes Paprika, what other commonly used spices do you find not adding to the flavor? Any favorites for long cooks? Thanks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Dry mustard, as noted upthread; cayenne: if only heat is required, fine -- if flavor and heat are desired there are better chile choices (Aleppo, guajillo, cascabel, aji amarillo, et al.); oregano -- sub with marjoram at 50-75% of what was called for.
In many typical rub recipes I find a lack of flavor because I find both the use of near-flavorless ingredients and a lack of ingredients. No, the ingredient list does not need to be a page long. But I am definitely not of the KISS school when it comes to rubs. To me minimal rubs are a missed opportunity. Salt-and-pepper-only or S & P with a couple or three ingredients doesn't cut it in my book -- the dogs can have my portion. Numerous flavors are created when meat is cooked - plus the addition of the flavors from smoke, if smoke is used. Though sufficient for some people's taste, to me those flavors need contrasts and complements to really make the profile sing -- to give it depth and, especially, breadth.
Rub recipes certainly need some balance: It is important that particularly distinctive ingredients not overwhelm the profile (unless of course that is the point of the rub in question) so care must be taken when including very distinctive herbs (rosemary, bay, dill, tarragon) and spices (celery, cinnamon, allspice, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, among others) so as to disallow a skewed finish. Too, the amount of rub applied is another factor. A highly flavored rub can be too much if applied heavily to something thin like, say, back ribs -- yet be perfect if applied moderately or lightly.
For chiles, I tend to use those I just mentioned. For herbs, I especially like thyme or thyme with marjoram, or thyme with sage and/or bay. For spices, I am quite fond of the 'sweet' spices (allspice, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg), coriander, cumin, celery, and some of the exotics like amchur and sumac. For aromatics, garlic, onion and ginger, ground coffee. Much depends on what type of meat I am cooking and the type of cooking process I will be using, but these ingredients find their way into many of my rubs.
