Rubs

Rubs (Spices to rub): Everything you need to know to elevate your meats and grilled dishes 

Rubs (or spices to rub) have become essential for barbecue or BBQ enthusiasts, fans of smoked cuisine and tasty grilled dishes. Whether you're a meat lover, a fan of Texan recipes or curious about new flavors, this comprehensive guide answers all your questions.

What is a rub?

A rub is a mixture of spices and aromatic herbs used to season meat, fish or even vegetables. Unlike a liquid marinade, the rub is applied directly by rubbing the dry (or slightly moist) preparation on your ingredients before cooking. It acts as a flavoring agent by seasoning your food and will pleasantly salt them.

Result: a flavorful, caramelized crust full of taste.

Why use a BBQ rub in cooking?

Rubs have several advantages:

Enhance flavor: each bite is rich in taste.

Create a flavorful crust thanks to salt and sugar that caramelize.

Enhance barbecue, oven or plancha cooking.

Customize your dishes according to your preferences (spicy, sweet, smoky, exotic).

How to apply a rub correctly?

There are different steps to follow if you want to use your spices to rub at their best: 

1. Choose your meat (pork, chicken, beef, fish, tofu, vegetables).

2. Sift or mix your rub well to homogenize the flavors.

3. Rub the mixture generously over the entire surface.

4. Let it rest: ideally 30 min to 12 h in the refrigerator for better flavor penetration.

5. Cook slowly (barbecue, smoker, oven) for maximum flavor.

Tip: for better adherence, you can add a little olive oil or mustard before applying the rub.

What are the most popular types of rubs?

Each spice blend changes depending on the region or country where it was created: 

- Texan rub: black pepper, paprika, garlic, onion.

- Cajun rub: chili, thyme, oregano, garlic.

- Sweet rub: brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg (perfect for ribs).

- Mediterranean rub: herbs de Provence, rosemary, lemon.

- Smoked rub: smoked paprika, cumin, smoked salt.

What's the difference between a dry rub and a marinade?

 The dry rub is a mixture of spices to rub, it is composed of salt, sugar, paprika and spices that will be adapted to the type of meat you want to flavor.

The marinade is liquid and impregnates the meat. It is generally a vinegar-based mixture designed to tenderize the meat and spices that will penetrate to the heart of the piece to make it juicy and tasty. 

Many chefs combine both: marinade + rub for an intense flavor. They then add a barbecue sauce at the end to caramelize the meat and make it more delicious.

How long should you let a rub sit?

 It all depends on the cut of meat you want to marinate. Indeed, the thicker the piece of meat, the longer it will take for the rubs to penetrate the meat. Here are some specific examples of contact times. 

• - chicken drumstick: between 30 minutes and 2 hours
• - whole chicken: between 4 and 8 hours
• - pork ribs: 2H
• - pulled pork (pork shoulder): 12H
• - brisket (beef brisket): 12h
• - beef: 6h

On pork, for example, you can brush with mustard so that the rub adheres correctly to the piece of meat.

Can you use a rub on fish or vegetables?

 Yes! But we prefer a light rub (herbs, lemon, mild spices) ideal for fish, and grilled vegetables pair perfectly with herb and paprika-based rubs.

Does the sugar burn in rubs?

 At high direct temperature, yes. Prefer slow (indirect) cooking so that the sugar caramelizes without burning. This is actually the whole point of the rub, they are regularly composed of sugar to obtain this caramelization.

Spice blends are the secret weapon for successful meats and grilled dishes. Easy to prepare, infinitely customizable, they transform a simple piece of meat into a dish worthy of the best Texan barbecues.

 Whether you're a fan of roast chicken, caramelized ribs or grilled vegetables, adopt the rub and discover a world of flavors.

Discover our large selection of rub products. We have selected the best rubs, used by the greatest barbecue champions.

The best quality rubs depending on what you're going to eat:

Why does a good rub cost about $10?

Indeed, we find rubs (spice blends) at all prices (even less than $3.00 in low-cost stores), the drawback of these entry-level rubs is that they are 90% salt. It's one of the cheapest ingredients (so you're buying salt at a premium!), but it's also one of the worst. Indeed, when there's too much salt, it will have the effect of drying out the meat. To get a quality rub that will flavor your meat, it needs to be balanced in terms of flavors, because with properly dosed ingredients you will get a most delicious result.