Sunday, July 20, 2008

Talkin about Spice Rubs

When it comes to crockpot cooking or any kind of cooking for that matter the use of spice rubs is a surefire way to ratchet up your meat without having to add any additional fat. There are plenty of great store bought rubs to be had, but there is definitely a cool feeling about making it yourself. The downside of this is that there will be a little investment up front to put together a spice collection that will allow you to create a variety of different and tasty rubs. I have compiled a quick list of spices that will help get you started and shouldn't set you back too much.

The Spice Rub Shopping list
Smoked Paprika
Chili Powder
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Cumin
Granulated Onion
Granulated Garlic
Brown Sugar
Dry Mustard
Coriander
Dried Thyme
Dried Oregano

This list here will get you started and as you experiment with new rubs you can add more spices to your arsenal. The great thing is that spices have a pretty long shelf so you won't have to worry about spoilage. You may want to look through every year or so. Opinions vary a good deal, but the main thing is to check whether your spices still have a strong flavor and aroma to them. To get you started here is a solid recipe for a great Texas style dry rub I like to use on brisket.

1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic

I would suggest finding a rub you really like and whipping up a good size batch so you don't have to remake every time you do BBQ.

1 comment:

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Wow, I have only half those spices. And is it true that spices can go bad? Because some of my spices are like 7 years old. OY.