Spice rubs

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Article by Chris Schlesinger
And John Willoughby,
Coauthors of several
Cookbooks, including Big
Flavors of the Hot Sun
(Morrow, 1994).

Directions

Make-ahead spice blends provide deep flavor with practically no effort.

BY CHRIS SCHLESINGER AND JOHN WILLOUGHBY Rubbed onto the outside of foods, spice blends will encourage the formation of a deeply browned crust filled with complex, concentrated flavors. They are also a healthful alternative to traditional sauces since they contain no fat at all.

Spice rubs can be used with virtually any type of food, and in general you can mix and match rubs and foods with abandon. However, there are a couple of general guidelines to follow when choosing a spice mix for a particular food. First, you must take into account the size of the food item to be cooked and make the rub stronger or lighter accordingly. For example, a rub designed for the outside of a whole chicken should be more potent than one for a relatively thin chicken breast or thigh. Second, you need to match strength to strength in terms of taste, that is, use earthier spices for meat, lighter ones for fish and chicken. Also, keep in mind that spices like cumin and coriander are good "bulk" spices for rubs, while aromatic spices like cloves and cinnamon need to be used lightly.

Spice rubs actually function as a kind of dry marinade. As such, they have several advantages over their traditional wet counterparts.

Since they are composed almost solely of spices, they provide stronger flavors than marinades, which typically comprise oil and an acidic liquid with some spices added to the mix. Rubs also stick better to the surface of foods than marinades, which again gives them an edge when it comes to intensifying flavor.

The technique involved in using spice rubs could not be simpler. Just take small handfuls of the spice mix that you have chosen and rub it over the entire surface of the food to be cooked, using a bit of pressure to make sure the spices actually adhere to the food. No need for brushes, either- bare hands are the best way to apply these mixtures. You can put the rubs on food several hours before you begin to cook, or five minutes before, and the effect will be about the same.

You will notice that most of these rubs do not contain salt. However, you should sprinkle the food liberally with salt before applying the rubs. Contrary to the common wisdom that allowing meat to sit with salt on it causes the juices to leak out, this process actually adds a deeper flavor to the meat.

All the rubs below will keep for about six weeks if they are tightly covered and stored in a cool, dark place.

From : Sallie Krebs, Thu 06 Jul 95 04:00, Area: COOKING Source: Cook's Illustrated, July/August 1995.

From: Sallie Krebs Date: 07-18-95 (22:56) (14) (E)Homecooki

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