5 tips for using BBQ rubs:

1. Use oil, sriracha, or mustard as ‘glue’

Before applying the rub, coat the meat or fish with oil, an oil-based sauce like mustard, or if you’re craving some heat, sriracha or tabasco. This has two important advantages: A. Not only do the small particles from your rub, such as sugar, salt, and paprika, stick better, but also the larger particles that give your rub and dish their characteristic flavor. Without a binding agent, they quickly fall off, and that’s a real shame. B. Dry herbs and spices release their flavors much better in a wet, oil-rich environment. In short: you extract more flavor from your BBQ rub.

2. Shake before and during use

Just like in a bag of cereal, the heavier and smaller particles of your rub quickly sink to the bottom of the jar, while the larger and lighter ones float to the top. So, shake your BBQ rub well before and during use to ensure that the meat evenly distributes all the flavor enhancers from your rub.

3. Spritzing

During your low and slow barbecue preparation, your meat-to-be lies in warm, dry smoke to cook. If you occasionally spray the meat with water, or a mixture of apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and possibly whiskey using a spray bottle, the quality of your dish will improve significantly. First and foremost, you prevent the sugars from caramelizing too quickly and your meat from darkening too soon. Additionally, the flavors of the rub dissolve better in the moisture, and the smoke molecules adhere better to your meat, enhancing that BBQ flavor even further.

4. Wrapping

Dishes like pulled beef, pulled pork, and spare ribs spend a long time in the smoke before you achieve the desired tenderness and doneness. Due to the heat and smoke, your dish becomes darker over time, and it’s possible that you’ve already achieved the perfect color before the core temperature comes close to what you want. In that case, wrap your dish in butcher paper or aluminum foil in time. This allows your barbecue dish to continue cooking without becoming too dark.

5. A little extra at the end

When preparing dishes like pulled pork and pulled beef, a lot of the meat is only seasoned on the outer edge. If you want to create a real flavor bomb, mix in some extra rub after pulling the meat. This elevates the flavor of the meat and gives it the recognition it deserves.