What Are Rubs?

Wet vs Dry Rubs

Dry rubs are a mixture of spices and dried herbs that are rubbed directly into the meat before cooking. The juices of the meat will mix with the rub and create a smoky and sweet exterior that complements the natural flavour of the meat when eaten together. It is most commonly used on brisket

For wet rubs, you can simply mix your dry rub with an equal amount of vegetable or olive oil until a paste is formed, then apply directly to the meat.

Oil won’t evaporate during the cooking process and will help your seasoning better adhere to the meat. Instead of oil, you can also use apple cider vinegar, mustard or cider. If there are recipes that require alcoholic drinks, we simply just use a substitute so that we can get as close as the real thing.

How to Apply

A dry rub can be rubbed directly into the meat and massaged until it sticks to the surface. We recommend patting your cut of meat dry using paper towels first and from there, you can season directly onto the meat or apply a small amount of oil over the surface before coating generously in the dry rub.

Depending on the cut of meat, you can let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature before cooking. 

If you’re smoking a larger cut such as briskets, we recommend applying a thin layer of mustard or hot sauce to the surface of the meat before adding your rub. This will help the rub adhere to the surface while increasing the moisture.

Always make sure to pour the amount of rub needed in a small bowl before applying to the meat. You don't want to dip wet hands into your jar, which can cause clumping and contamination. Another method is to have a “sprinkling hand” and a “meat hand” so one hand touches the meat and the other only touches seasoning.

How to create your own rubs?

Generally speaking, we always believe there is no right or wrong answer. It depends on your own palate and what you like to put into your rubs. As a rule of the thumb, a basic pepper and salt can be considered a rub. It's all about trial and error. We create our own rubs thru many years of trial and error. If you feel that you have something that could entice the masses, just drop us a note to sell your rubs in our store.