Experiment and try new things when creating a rub of your own.
Dry rubs, which are mixtures of various herbs and spices, are used to add flavor to meat such as beef, chicken and pork. You can find many recipes for dry rubs in cookbooks and on online recipe databases, but you can also use some creativity and create your own at home. To create a unique dry rub of your own, all you need is an imagination and a bowl to store some ingredients.
Instructions
1. Create a flavor profile for the spice rub. If you are not experienced with creating flavor profiles, the process may seem intimidating, but a few simple tips will help you get the flavor you are looking for. If you want a sweet tasting rub, use ingredients such as sugar, cumin and sweet-tasting powdered chili peppers such as the red pepper and guajillo pepper. When using sugar, note that brown sugar has more of a deep, caramelized flavor than white sugar. If you want an earthy tasting rub, use ingredients such as rosemary, sage and powdered chipotle or ancho peppers, which are mild tasting peppers. If you want a spicy tasting rub, use ingredients such as cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes, which add a touch of heat. If you want a tangy tasting rub, use ingredients such as ground mustard or pickling spice.
2. Purchase herbs and spices from a reputable distributor. Major grocery stores and independent spice stores are often trustworthy places to purchase quality ingredients. If you are familiar with the vendors at local farmer's markets, shop through their selection of fresh ingredients.
3. Grind any whole spices in an unused coffee grinder. Fresh ground spices are always a better choice over powdered spices. They add much more flavor and intensity to a dry rub. Grind one spice at a time in the coffee grinder. Between spices, wipe the inside of the coffee grinder with a dry paper towel. Do not get the coffee grinder wet or the ground spices will clump. Reserve each spice in a separate plastic container.
4. Pull the leaves of fresh herbs off the stems. Chop the fresh herbs with a chef's knife until they are minced.
5. Add the ingredients for the spice rub to a large plastic container. Balance the amount of ingredients to fit the flavor profile you want. There is no exact science to creating a rub without a recipe, but there are a few rules of thumb that may help you. Start with a base ingredient. If you want a sweet-tasting rub, use white or brown sugar as your base. If you want a spicy tasting rub, use cayenne pepper or ground chipotle pepper as your base. Add 1 cup of the base ingredient to the bowl and build the rub from there. Balance spicy ingredients by adding sweet ingredients and vice versa. Balance earthy ingredients with tangy ingredients or vice versa. Add about 1 tablespoon of the balancing ingredients to the base ingredient and taste the rub. Add additional herbs and spices and frequently taste the rub until it reaches the flavor profile you desire.
6. Mix the rub with a fork until thoroughly combined.
7. Cover the container with plastic wrap and store in a cool, dry place.
Tags: coffee grinder, ingredients such, tasting ingredients, tasting ingredients such, base ingredient, flavor profile, herbs spices