I have to say upfront, there is a place for both BBQ Rubs and Marinades in the kitchen. Other than the fact that one is dry and the other is wet, they are both flavor enhancers.

When I first learned how to cook, I used marinades a lot. My usual self-taught recipe was oil, soy sauce, garlic and pepper. The acid in the soy sauce was both for flavoring and tenderizing. And of course, the longer I marinated the meat the more flavor it had. It was a simple recipe and never failed me.

But later, I branched out and discovered that spice blends added to the same liquid recipe turned out to be a double-wow! The meat was always melt in your mouth tender and flavorful.

But the downfall, when barbecuing, is all that liquid in the meat (even if you pat the meat off before you grill) really makes it hard to get a good sear. So after understanding BBQ techniques, I discovered that Dry BBQ Rubs had a distinct advantage over the liquid. And that advantage was texture. It gave a delicious crust to the meat that you never can get with a liquid marinade.

If I had a clear favorite, I would have to say the Dry BBQ Rub technique would be my favorite currently. But you might ask, doesn’t that just make the meat dry and flavorless? Not at all. If you’ve ever ordered Dry Ribs at PF Chang’s or a 4” high Perry’s Pork Chop in Dallas, you’d understand the difference. Both have crusty tops and Ama-zing flavor.
But there are 3 secrets to cooking with Dry Rub spice blends:

1). Use the right blend. It really has to be a perfectly balanced blend of savory, sweet and heat. Too much savory and it will be ok, but no punch. Too much sweet will simply burn and the taste is ruined. Too much heat and basically the meat is inedible. Nobody wants that.

2). Always coat the meat liberally with the spice blend before you put it on the grill. Once on the grill, sear it for a few minutes on each side to caramelize the meat and sear in the flavor. (As an aside, in Texas the “burnt ends” of the Brisket is a favorite of many.)

3). Incorporate additional flavor to the meat. Yep, now is the time for you to brush your favorite sauce on the meat. Yes, you can use the soy sauce mixture I told you about earlier. But if you have a favorite BBQ sauce that works well too.

Of all the spices in our Old West Collection, I would say our Texas Secret BBQ Seasoning, with its sweet-heat, is your perfect dry rub on pork ribs, chops and chicken. Lip smacking good.

My personal favorite seasoning for meats that will be added to Mexican dishes like chicken, beef, fish or shrimp fajitas and tacos is our Vaquero BBQ Rub. This Chili Lime blend with a touch of sweet heat cayenne is absolutely a mouthful of flavor.

If you like coffee…and who doesn’t?…our Cowboy Coffee Rub is perfect on steak, ribs and pork. Think of rich, flavorful coffee with a touch of sweet, and then a zing of heat. In fact, one of our customers told me she actually dry rubs her steaks for a couple of days with Cowboy Coffee Rub before she ever puts them on the grill. Then again, she is a self admitted coffee junkee, and owns a cattle ranch on top of it. Bless her, she knows good food.

As always, bon appetit!
Pam