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Using Rubs To Enhance The Flavor Of Barbecue Meat

Preparing a great barbecue goes beyond buying the best quality meat or using the best grill, you also need to think about how to enhance the flavor of the meat. There are two main ways to enhance the flavor of your meat and you can use either a rub or marinade. There are good reasons why most people choose to use rubs. Rubs are used in all parts of the country to bring out the perfect BBQ flavor and they are usually made from a combination of spices. The spices are sprinkled or "rubbed" on the meat before it is placed on the grill. Rubs are perfect for use on large pieces of meat.

Why should you use a rub?

There are several reasons why you should use a rub on your meat and the most important one is that it helps to seal the flavor on the meat. Rubs also help to give the meat a tasty crust that is an essential component of BBQ food. Rubs enhance the beautiful color of cooked meat and they are a major reason why the meat looks so good! The most important benefit of using rubs is that they pull moisture from the atmosphere, while also drawing out the juices from the meat. This osmosis reaction helps the meat to literary marinade as it cooks.

What is in a rub and how it works?

Rubs are made from a combination of spices mixed with sugars and salts. The spices you use will depend on your taste and you can try out different combinations to see what you like. The salt helps to draw the moisture from the meat while the sugar locks the flavor in through caramelization or oxidation. Caramelizing the spices on the meat surface seals in the spice flavors. Sugar also helps in the process of osmosis. The spices used in rubs usually include onion, garlic, allspice, paprika, cinnamon, chili pepper, mustard, sage, cumin and thyme among others.

Benefits of rubs over marinades

There are several reasons why most people prefer rubs to marinades. Rubs tend to be more economical and they do not need to be refrigerated. They also have a longer shelf life, which means that you will not have to keep preparing the rub anytime you need to grill some meat. You simply use the amount of rub that you need and you can save the rest for later use. Rubs add color and a tasteful crust to the meat. The fact that the rubs "self-marinate" the meat means that you do not need to add marinade while the meat cooks. They are easy to apply and they make it easy to control the flavor of your meat.

Dry or wet rub

Rubs can be either dry or wet depending on your preference. Wet rubs are made by adding some liquid in the mix to create a paste. Most rubs start out dry but when they are heated, they turn into a paste. While some people prefer to shake the dry ingredients over the meat, most people prefer the rubbing action to get the ingredients on every part of the meat. However, it is applied, the rub will help to enhance the flavor of the meat while adding spices to the meat. You can apply the rub hours or days before you cook the meat. Wrap the meat using butcher paper or plastic wrap before refrigerating it.

When you are ready to cook your meat, you might need to add more rub depending on the results you want. Trying out different amounts of the various spices will help you to determine the taste that best appeals to you. When you decide to get barbecue catering, talk to the chef about your preference or the rub ingredients you like.