Whipping up a delicious dinner can take some serious skill and time. Before you get those sides into the oven and start cooking your main, you'll need to settle on the best dry rub for you and your tastes. There are a good number of spices and no one has the time to sift through all of them at the grocery store, wondering which ones will complement each other. Don't you worry because we're here to help take the daunting nature out of this task and give you some pointers on which dry rubs are the best ones out there.
A dry rub is a mixture of various spices and herbs that not only work well together but complement different types of meat. They are rubbed into the meat before cooking (and are sometimes left to marinate) to bring out the flavor and soak into the food before you consume it. The difference between a rub and a marinade is that a marinade usually includes a liquid of some kind (wine, sauce, paste) and can also be used to tenderize the meat.
Rubs are crucial for dinner depending on what you're making. There are some meats out there that don't necessarily need anything too particular - like steak - but there are other cuts of meat that do well with a nice rub, such as chicken or pork. Just remember that even if a steak can do well with just salt, pepper, and olive oil you can still play around in the kitchen and mix spices that will still be a home run.
An important reminder before jumping in is not to worry about adding spices you're not a fan of. If a dry rub recipe calls for an herb you'd rather omit, you can swap it out or ignore it, but you should also consider keeping it in. The medley of flavors will leave you with a flavorful end result that isn't too reliant on just one herb. Not to mention, the taste of the meat will also cancel out that one spice you're not too keen on.
Chicken is a classic meat that most people can indulge in. It's also one of the more versatile food options that will allow you to play around with different rubs and marinades and calls for something a little more extravagant than some salt and pepper.
This combination works in many of the popular herbs and spices that go well with chicken without being too overpowering. These herbs are also easy to find in grocery stores, so you won't need to whip up anything crazy.
This particular combination is a great blend of spicy and sweet and will bring tons of flavor to your chicken breasts.
When you're looking to get a good pork dinner in, there are a few choice herbs and spices that will bring home the flavor and make your dinner an unforgettable one.
Mixing the more commonly used herbs for pork in with paprika gives your chops a delightful sweetness that will only enhance the experience.
This spice combo is a terrific way to get a bit of a spice, smokiness, and the popular herbs that specifically complement pork.
There aren't very many of us out there who can resist a juicy steak dinner. But just like dry rubs, there is a wide variety of beef cuts out there and each can be complemented with their own kind of seasoning.
This might seem like it won't be enough to offer any flavor, but this cut of steak doesn't need anything else but these simple spices. Make sure you're using Kosher salt and rubbing it into the meat so it grabs onto the flavor and the seasoning doesn't just sit on top.
Even though you can use the simple rub above for any cut of steak it doesn't hurt to add some new things in there. By using less salt and adding some complementing spices you'll still be able to pack a punch.
Bringing a nice big turkey out of the oven for a grand feast gets the blood pumping at the table, but that also means there's a bit of pressure to get everything just right. Even if you're just indulging in a turkey breast, seasoning a savory piece of meat requires just the right kind of herbs.
While this works as a great dry rub you can add 3 tablespoons of butter, which is another seasoning that complements turkey. The butter will help to make the turkey juicier and these spices help bring out the flavor.
When you're working with just a turkey breast or two you don't need as much seasoning, but you can still change things up a bit to fit better for the smaller pieces.
One of the most important things you can do in the kitchen is to make something your own. These are the rubs that we like to turn to, but that doesn't mean you can't tweak these dry rubs to have them fit your tastes. Either way, these recipes are sure to bring the most from your meat and make a memorable meal!