Rub One Out on Your Next Barbecue

Rubs are quite a popular grilling technique for flavoring foods because they are fast and easy to make. A few minutes of preparation results in a great payoff, and can transform any barbecue from ordinary to extraordinary. Choosing between wet and dry rubs is mainly a matter of taste, but when they're applied ahead of time, there's also a chemistry component.

Dry rubs are typically a blend of coarse salt, pepper, sugar, dry herbs and spices, which are applied to the food surface prior to grilling. If applied anywhere from four hours to a day before, the salt in a dry rub can also help cure the meat.

Wet rubs, also called spice pastes, are a cross between dry rubs and marinades. Adding puréed fresh herbs, fruits or vegetables, juice, vinegar, alcohol and/or oil to the seasoning blend for moisture will increase flavor. Wet rubs with acidic ingredients such as vinegar or pineapple juice can also slightly tenderize the meat.

There are a ton of rubs to choose from that are sure to spice up any backyard event. When I met grilling guru Steven Raichlen at the Atlanta convention this year for the Hearth Patio Barbecue Association (HPBA), he spoke about his rub recipes from the best selling book How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbeque Techniques. ''Rubs are used for three different purposes” said Steve. “First, a rub is a seasoning. It adds a layer of flavor. Second, if it's applied for four hours to a day before, [the salt in a dry rub] partially cures the meat. Third, it helps with the formation of a crisp crust.''