SECURE ONLINE ORDERING Flat Rate Shipping and No Handling Fee allows you to buy in quantity saving you money$$$
Dry Rubs
& Seasonings
What is a Dry Rub and How Do You Store and Use It?
A dry rub is a combination of spices that extends beyond the boundaries of barbecue to season any dish where you want to add a kick of flavor and spice. In addition to the usual method of rubbing it into meats, a dry rub can be used to add new and unique flavors to vegetables, salads, and casseroles. You can even use them to spice up condiments such as mayonnaise and mustard to really enhance the flavor of your favorite sandwich!
How to Store Your Dry Rub
To ensure that your dry rubs and seasonings are always at their peak in flavor and freshness, it is important to store them properly.
Nature provides spices with the cell structures necessary to maintain their flavor and aroma for long periods after harvest. Whole spices, dried and stored, have been known to keep for many years and then deliver potent flavor when ground. Here are some basic rules on storing and handling spices that will help protect the flavor of your purchase:
KEEP SPICES AWAY FROM THE STOVE AND OVEN, AND DON'T LET THEM GET WET
At the very least, they need to be kept cool and dry ….. Never store spices or dry rubs near the kitchen range or other source of high heat. Also, never store the dry rubs in a place where the containers are apt to get wet or leave the package open if the humidity gets high. You can ensure the fresh quality lasts by keeping your spices and dry rubs somewhere cool and dry. Cool means no higher that 68 F (20 C) and dry would be no higher than 60% relative humidity. Storing your dry rubs and spices in a kitchen cupboard is always better than storing them on a spice rack mounted to a wall.
USE YOUR REFRIGERATOR
If possible, cold storage (32 F to 45 F / 0 C to 7 C ) is highly recommended. At 70 to 80 F (21 C to 27 C), some products will lose about 1% of their color every 10 days. At higher temperatures, losses are even more rapid. In cold storage, however, color and flavor loss is reduced to ˝% every 10 days allowing you to enjoy your purchase for as long as one year.
NO BRIGHT LIGHTS
Because many rub creations contain ingredients that are light sensitive (such as paprika), it is best not to expose your spices or dry rubs to direct light sources such as the sun, for extended periods. Always make sure to tightly close the zipper seal on the packaging to ensure your product remains fresh and flavorful.
Things To Think About Before Getting Started
Most Likely, manufacturers create their rubs using a variety of chili peppers, such as cayenne, poblano, jalapeno, and habanero peppers, which means they can be quite hot when used in larger amounts. Until you are familiar with any rub that is spicy or salty, you should begin by using smaller amounts than you may use with your usual spices to avoid burning your mouth, over salting or over-heating your dishes.
When using rubs in recipes that require an extended cooking time in liquids, such as in a crock pot or batch of chili, it is best to add the dry rub required in small batches throughout, or towards the end of the cooking process. This keeps the spice flavors at their peak and will provide a more flavorful end product.
How To Use Your Dry Rub
Dry rubs can be just that, completely dry or they can be incorporated into a liquid and used as a wet rub or paste. Usually seen combined with an oil of some sort, wet rubs are frequently created with other "secret" purees and liquids, providing an additional and often unique dose of flavor. We prefer to use a wet rub with an oil base as a coating for vegetables or shellfish prior to grilling or roasting, as the oil helps the spices adhere better to these foods and aids in the roasting process. We also mix our rubs with mustard and horseradish and use this paste to thoroughly coat our briskets prior to their long slow smoking. When used as a dry rub, the process is quite simple and adds a tremendous amount of flavor to your dishes.
Step 1:
Wash the meat, and trim it of any excess fat, silver-skin, etc. Dry the meat thoroughly with a paper towel, discarding paper towel when finished.
Step 2:
Sprinkle the dry rub, or spread your wet rub paste, to cover your meat of choice with a thorough layer of the spices. If you are using a new rub, start by applying less until you are more familiar with it to avoid over-spicing the food, or in the case of spicy rubs, mouth burn. With chicken and other birds, simply placing the rub on the skin will create a nice crust, but will not flavor the meat. To get the flavor of your rub to the meat, gently lift the skin without tearing it, making sure to get the rub in direct contact with the meat as well as on top of the skin and thoroughly within the cavity - this will help to add even more flavor to your finished bird. When done your meat should be coated with a nice even layer of rub or paste.
Step 3 - Optional Items:
Except in the case of delicate meats such as fish, use your fingers to gently work the rub in a circular motion, being careful not to crush the meat. On heartier cuts such as brisket or pork shoulder, really work the rub into the meat, giving it a good exercise; this helps break down the connective tissues of these tougher cuts. In the case of larger cuts of meat such as pork shoulders, briskets, or leaner items such as birds, you may want to also consider injecting them to really add flavor and moisture throughout the meat. To create an injection, melt 1/2 stick unsalted butter and add 1 - 2 teaspoons of your rub. Mix thoroughly, and with a meat injector, evenly distribute the injection throughout the meat. Be careful not to over-inject rubs containing salt, as they may make your final product salty.
Step 4:
If you performed step 3, apply additional rub to evenly coat the meat.
Thoroughly and tightly wrap the meat in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator if cooking at a later time, or leave wrapped at room temperature if cooking time is less than 1 hour away. Do not leave your meat un-refrigerated for an extended period of time as this may result in the meat becoming unsafe to eat. For even greater results, let the seasoned meat sit in the refrigerator overnight, wrapped in plastic wrap.
Step 5:
About a half-hour before cooking the meat, remove it from the refrigerator, take off the plastic wrap and allow to return to room temperature. If a dry rub was used, it will have become pasty from the juices of the meat. Be careful when handling the meat, so as to avoid rubbing away any of the paste – it makes for a tasty crust, or what is referred to as “bark”. If desired, you can add more rub to coat for even more flavor. Cook meat in desired manner, and bon appetite!
A dry rub is a combination of spices that extends beyond the boundaries of barbecue to season any dish where you want to add a kick of flavor and spice. In addition to the usual method of rubbing it into meats, a dry rub can be used to add new and unique flavors to vegetables, salads, and casseroles. You can even use them to spice up condiments such as mayonnaise and mustard to really enhance the flavor of your favorite sandwich!
How to Store Your Dry Rub
To ensure that your dry rubs and seasonings are always at their peak in flavor and freshness, it is important to store them properly.
Nature provides spices with the cell structures necessary to maintain their flavor and aroma for long periods after harvest. Whole spices, dried and stored, have been known to keep for many years and then deliver potent flavor when ground. Here are some basic rules on storing and handling spices that will help protect the flavor of your purchase:
KEEP SPICES AWAY FROM THE STOVE AND OVEN, AND DON'T LET THEM GET WET
At the very least, they need to be kept cool and dry ….. Never store spices or dry rubs near the kitchen range or other source of high heat. Also, never store the dry rubs in a place where the containers are apt to get wet or leave the package open if the humidity gets high. You can ensure the fresh quality lasts by keeping your spices and dry rubs somewhere cool and dry. Cool means no higher that 68 F (20 C) and dry would be no higher than 60% relative humidity. Storing your dry rubs and spices in a kitchen cupboard is always better than storing them on a spice rack mounted to a wall.
USE YOUR REFRIGERATOR
If possible, cold storage (32 F to 45 F / 0 C to 7 C ) is highly recommended. At 70 to 80 F (21 C to 27 C), some products will lose about 1% of their color every 10 days. At higher temperatures, losses are even more rapid. In cold storage, however, color and flavor loss is reduced to ˝% every 10 days allowing you to enjoy your purchase for as long as one year.
NO BRIGHT LIGHTS
Because many rub creations contain ingredients that are light sensitive (such as paprika), it is best not to expose your spices or dry rubs to direct light sources such as the sun, for extended periods. Always make sure to tightly close the zipper seal on the packaging to ensure your product remains fresh and flavorful.
Things To Think About Before Getting Started
Most Likely, manufacturers create their rubs using a variety of chili peppers, such as cayenne, poblano, jalapeno, and habanero peppers, which means they can be quite hot when used in larger amounts. Until you are familiar with any rub that is spicy or salty, you should begin by using smaller amounts than you may use with your usual spices to avoid burning your mouth, over salting or over-heating your dishes.
When using rubs in recipes that require an extended cooking time in liquids, such as in a crock pot or batch of chili, it is best to add the dry rub required in small batches throughout, or towards the end of the cooking process. This keeps the spice flavors at their peak and will provide a more flavorful end product.
How To Use Your Dry Rub
Dry rubs can be just that, completely dry or they can be incorporated into a liquid and used as a wet rub or paste. Usually seen combined with an oil of some sort, wet rubs are frequently created with other "secret" purees and liquids, providing an additional and often unique dose of flavor. We prefer to use a wet rub with an oil base as a coating for vegetables or shellfish prior to grilling or roasting, as the oil helps the spices adhere better to these foods and aids in the roasting process. We also mix our rubs with mustard and horseradish and use this paste to thoroughly coat our briskets prior to their long slow smoking. When used as a dry rub, the process is quite simple and adds a tremendous amount of flavor to your dishes.
Step 1:
Wash the meat, and trim it of any excess fat, silver-skin, etc. Dry the meat thoroughly with a paper towel, discarding paper towel when finished.
Step 2:
Sprinkle the dry rub, or spread your wet rub paste, to cover your meat of choice with a thorough layer of the spices. If you are using a new rub, start by applying less until you are more familiar with it to avoid over-spicing the food, or in the case of spicy rubs, mouth burn. With chicken and other birds, simply placing the rub on the skin will create a nice crust, but will not flavor the meat. To get the flavor of your rub to the meat, gently lift the skin without tearing it, making sure to get the rub in direct contact with the meat as well as on top of the skin and thoroughly within the cavity - this will help to add even more flavor to your finished bird. When done your meat should be coated with a nice even layer of rub or paste.
Step 3 - Optional Items:
Except in the case of delicate meats such as fish, use your fingers to gently work the rub in a circular motion, being careful not to crush the meat. On heartier cuts such as brisket or pork shoulder, really work the rub into the meat, giving it a good exercise; this helps break down the connective tissues of these tougher cuts. In the case of larger cuts of meat such as pork shoulders, briskets, or leaner items such as birds, you may want to also consider injecting them to really add flavor and moisture throughout the meat. To create an injection, melt 1/2 stick unsalted butter and add 1 - 2 teaspoons of your rub. Mix thoroughly, and with a meat injector, evenly distribute the injection throughout the meat. Be careful not to over-inject rubs containing salt, as they may make your final product salty.
Step 4:
If you performed step 3, apply additional rub to evenly coat the meat.
Thoroughly and tightly wrap the meat in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator if cooking at a later time, or leave wrapped at room temperature if cooking time is less than 1 hour away. Do not leave your meat un-refrigerated for an extended period of time as this may result in the meat becoming unsafe to eat. For even greater results, let the seasoned meat sit in the refrigerator overnight, wrapped in plastic wrap.
Step 5:
About a half-hour before cooking the meat, remove it from the refrigerator, take off the plastic wrap and allow to return to room temperature. If a dry rub was used, it will have become pasty from the juices of the meat. Be careful when handling the meat, so as to avoid rubbing away any of the paste – it makes for a tasty crust, or what is referred to as “bark”. If desired, you can add more rub to coat for even more flavor. Cook meat in desired manner, and bon appetite!
