Beyond using the finest tasting meat, be it beef brisket, pork ribs, or a lamb roast from Niman Ranch, the proper use of a dry rub is the number one way to enhance both the flavor and tenderness of your dish. The great thing about rubs is they allow you to be creative by mixing and matching spices to suit your palate, while still ensuring an awesome result. Just follow these basic tips for creating and using a dry rub, and you will be cooking something great in no time.

Dry Rub FAQ With Niman Ranch 

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What is a dry rub?
A dry rub is a mix of seasonings that are applied to your meat before barbecuing. Most dry rub recipes include salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, and a mixture of other aromatics and spices such as garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, or cumin. Some rub recipes utilize different ingredients like ground coffee, mustard, cayenne, or cinnamon.

 When should I use a dry rub?
Any time you are preparing a cut of meat you will want to season it prior to cooking. A dry rub is the perfect seasoning method for barbecuing or smoking beef, pork, lamb and poultry. Choosing the right dry rub to go along with your cut of meat is important as well.


How do I use a dry rub?
Making your own dry rub from a recipe can be fun, and with some practice, you can improvise your own, but there are also plenty of amazing pre-made dry rubs that will give you a perfect crust every time, such as Spiceology’s full line of spices and blends that are packed with flavor and fresh ingredients. When preparing your meat for dry rub, be sure to pat it dry with a paper towel. Next spread the rub all over the cut of meat on all sides, using your hands to help it stick. If you did it right, the entire surface should be covered. Be sure to let the rub sit for 30 minutes or up to 1½  hours to allow the salt and spices to penetrate the meat before cooking.

Another great use of dry rubs when it comes to roasts and steaks is to make a compound butter. This is so much easier than you think. You only need two ingredients: a great dry rub and butter. Mix room temperature butter with your dry rub until evenly distributed and then refrigerate. When cooking your meat, add about a tablespoon of your compound butter when you only have a few minutes left to make a rich, delicious piece of meat. 

What about Ground Meat?

When it comes to ground meats, there are a couple of ways to use dry rubs. Mix one tablespoon for every pound of meat into your ground before forming patties. Take about .5oz and cook to desired temp to taste if the flavor is what you’re looking for before cooking all the meat. 

Alternately, you can rub it on dry.ub and press the dry rub onto the ground meat once you’ve formed it into a patty. This will give you a great flavor crust and, if there is sugar in the rub, a bit of caramelization as well. 

Check out this recipe from Spiceology featuring six, (yep we said six) different burgers

Does my dry rub need sugar?
The presence of sugar, be it brown sugar, white sugar, molasses, honey granules, etc., is key in allowing your dry rub to form a crust while smoking or barbecuing. If you are cooking your meat in a pan or grilling at high temperature, keep in mind that sugar will burn at around 265 F. Consider rubbing your steak or roast with a mix of seasoning that does not include sugar if that is how you’ll be cooking it.

What about wet rubs?
The difference between a dry rub and a wet rub is pretty simple: if you add a liquid such as lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce or oil to your dry rub before you apply it, you now have a wet rub. Either type can be a great way to prepare your meat for the smoker.

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