What is Barbecue Seasoning?
As always we need to right back to the roots of understanding. This is what leads to longevity of knowledge. BBQ seasoning is a basic blend of spices, salt and sugar used to season, and add flavour to, meat before smoking or grilling. You can also add BBQ seasoning after cooking too. Basically think of seasoning as having two principal functions. Firstly it brings out the natural flavours of your meat or veg. Secondly it creates a basic flavour foundation for your food.
What are BBQ Rubs?
Although BBQ rubs and BBQ seasoning are fairly similar, they do have some distinct differences. A rub is a mix of spices, herbs and seasoning, that we apply to meat and veg before smoking or grilling. Unlike barbecue seasoning, we don’t usually apply a a BBQ rub to food after cooking.
How do BBQ Rubs Work?
BBQ rubs are a quick and potent way to infuse a deep flavour into your grilled delights. Basically, while your food is blazing on the grill, the rub cooks too, penetrating deeper into the meat to add flavour. What’s more some of the surface rub crystallises to form a crunchy and crispy ‘bark’ on the outside of the meat. This bark is a delicious crispy crust of spices, adding another texture to the taste experience. Plus the bark acts like a barrier, trapping all the natural flavours of the meat within the flesh. While marinades require a little more time and effort, a barbecue rub is a quicker and easier solution that still delivers a powerful flavour.
What are the Main BBQ Rub Ingredients?
The great thing about BBQ rubs is that you they are super easy to make yourself. If you’re not the hands on type you can buy all kinds of pre-made rubs too. Win-win anyone? Now, we know that most of the Big K Fam are flame and foodie fanatics at heart, so it’s time to give you some ingredient insight. To create your own basic BBQ rub you’ll need oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, coriander, cumin, chilli powder, sugar and salt.
You can experiment with the amounts to customise a flavour to you liking. Just a quick note: if you’re using a rub on your meat, salt and sugar are key. Salt helps the rub’s flavours penetrate deeper into the meat. Sugar helps the process of crystallisation, creating your crispy back of deliciousness. If you’re grilling veggies then you can get away with little or no salt or sugar. Just focus on creating balanced spice mix for flavour heaven.
How to Use & Apply a BBQ Rub?
You can apply a rub to your food in two ways: wet or dry. The majority of rubs are dry rubs so let’s start there. To apply a dry rub, you will first need to pat down your meat or veg with a kitchen cloth or paper towel. This is because you should remove as much surface level moisture as possible. Why? The rub will absorb the water and start clumping together forming a more viscous, almost liquidity texture.
The result? You will have an uneven, and therefore weaker, flavour distribution. So once you have removed as much moisture as possible, you should then sprinkle your dry bbq rub onto your food. Finally evenly rub the powdered mixture all over you food and indulge in some light patting too. The aim is to coat the outside if your food with a full an d even layer of rub.
If you’re going for a wet rub, simply mix a little water or oil to your dry rub. Stir until you have a more viscous paste. Then just spread your paste all over your food. You won’t obtain as much of that lovely surface crunch from the bark, but you will still enjoy some amazing flavour.
Perfect Rub & Food Combos
So what are some of the main differences between smoking chips and pellets? Most wood pellets are made from 100% natural hardwoods. However, often the product name on the bag doesn’t quite tell the full story. Say you buy some Hickory wood pellets, the reality is that the pellets will actually be a blend of Hickory and a different wood – like Oak for example. If you buy Hickory wood chips or chunks instead, these would be 100% Hickory. Pellets are blended for a couple of reasons. Mixing flavoured woods with Oak is more economical for one thing. Secondly the Oak blend also gives the pellets a more stable and consistent burn.
A Handy BBQ Seasoning Dry Rub Recipe For All Kinds of Food
Ingredients:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Optional)
Method
Mix brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, salt, chilli powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Store in an air-tight container or keep in the freezer in a sealable plastic bag.
What are the Best BBQ Rubs in the UK? What are the Best Meat Rubs in the UK?
There’s no such thing as the ‘best’, it’s more about what’s right for you. Need a little help in making your decision? No worries, Big K are somewhat experts in the BBQ field, so we can point you in the right direction.
Norfolk Smoke Pit BBQ Rubs & Seasoning
Our friends at Norfolk Smoke Pit know how to bland up some amazing rubs to elevate your grilling.
Brew & Briskets
Brew & Briskets is a coffee blend with delightfully delicious hints of oak smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Bang a load of this on your brisket and you’re in business. All you need to do is rub the seasoning onto your meat before cooking with a ratio of 3-5% if you want to be specific! Or you can freestyle and smash it on as you like. Go beyond brisket! This rub is a versatile all rounder, perfect with chicken, pork & roasted veg.
Cactus Kitchen
Meet this fiery Mexican flavoured spice rub. If you’re cooking up chilli, tacos, fajitas or loaded nachos this is the blend you need! Why is this rub authentic? Well, it’s the chipotle chillies that create the traditional Mexican flavour. Yes the rub has fiery heat from the chilli flakes, however the cumin, garlic, onion and smoked paprika balance out the kick.