Rub ingredients?

[fritz]

Looking for some general rules in developing a rub for ribs. i.e. any flavors that contrast or shouldn’t be used together? Any that go particularly well together?

I want to use Worcestershire powder. I’ve never used this powder before. Does a little go a long way? What would be a good amount for, say, 3 slabs? I’m looking for a sweet/savory rub that can go with out a sauce.

Thanks!

 

[j biesinger]

Paul Kirk's book goes into a fairly lengthy discussion on his process of building a rub. Also Chris Lilly's new book has similar info. Both will give you a good start towards constructing your own rub.

here's a link that is recommended reading for anyone building a rub:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/fo...owthread.php?t=18492

I would also recommend trying out lots of recipes and if you don't have the time, build a spreadsheet that compares lots of recipes so you can get a better idea of common ingredients and their relative proportions.

Lastly, invest in a cheap scale so you can mass your ingredients which makes mixing up and scaling batches easier.

As for worcestershire powder, I've played with it some and the jury is still out. I used it exclusively on beef and I'm not sure if I love the flavor. It also seems highly hygroscopic, and as a result seems to dry out the bark. I had a similar problem when I used vinegar powder in a rub. I looked at a recipe of mine, and to give you an idea, worcestershire powder made up 1/20th of the rub.

 

[fritz]

many thanks.

 

[Joe Dang]

After you get the basics down, and you really want to elevate your rubs, maybe do what I plan on doing (one of these days)

http://www.amazon.com/Flavor-B...native/dp/0316118400

Flavor bible, combinations of flavors. I found this via a Knife forum that a lot of chefs frequent. Don't use this link though, use the one where this forum benefits. It's just for reference

 

[Michael G. (Canada Mike)]

I've seen that post, J, it's awesome. My advice is to experiment and find the flavours you like. My own rub has been culled from a whole bunch of rubs I tried with emphasis on the ingredients I like best, e.g., cumin.
Also, I have trick I use at my local bulk food store - you know where they have a whole lot of bins containing herbs and spices. I go in with my list not by amounts like cup or tablespoon, but by proportions. Then I fill the little plastic bags with 4 shovels of paprika, then one of cumin, etc. No measuring, and then at home I just dump them all into one big bowl.

 

[Don Dukes]

I heard an interview with Harry Soo the other day and this seemed like a good idea. He used a bunch of pieces of chicken and his oven and he tried a variety of rubs one with say salt, pepper, and garlic and then another with those 3 plus one other ingredient. He then labels the pieces and bakes them. After baking the chicken he tastes them to determine any subsequent tweaks and then repeats the process. Once he decides on a rub he then takes and cooks new pieces on the smoker to see how it translates.

-Don