Meat Rubs....Yumatrocious!

My daughter, Caitlin, came up with "Yumatrocious" when she was really little. It cracked us all up and our family still uses it to this day for yummy stuff!

So you may be wondering, "What the heck is a meat rub?"

Meat Rubs are usually a dry combination of herbs and spices. There are all different kinds out there, from the plain jane to the exotic. Usually, I grill when I'm using a meat rub. But you can stovetop fry or bake as well.

There are a couple ways to get this meat rub on your meat.

1. You can brush or pat olive oil (or your favorite oil) on all sides of the meat. Then sprinkle the rub all over.
OR
2. Mix 1/2 C oil and 2-4 T of your rub together. Then using a basting brush, spread that combination over the meat.

I've also done #2 as a marinade for freezer cooking. But instead of spreading it over the meat, I'll pour the whole thing in a ziploc freezer bag, add the meat, seal and shake a bit so it coats the meat some. Then freeze it. As always, when it's thawing, it will marinate with those flavors.

One of my favorite meat rubs is one that has Italian seasonings. It's great for chicken and pork. And then that meat can be served with pasta or potatoes.

Check your spice cabinet. You may have meat rubs already. And you can make your own combination from dry spices you do have. My dad makes this great spice rub for brisket in the summer. He really coats it on thick, but when it's done grilling, it has a fabulous flavor.

Experiment a bit. Use a small ziploc bag or one of those teeny plastic storage containers to store your experiments. Then it's very easy to pull them out, prep the meat and grill (or whatever).