Savoring the blends
Homemade rubs easy ways to spice up grilled, roasted foods.
Rubs and seasoning blends are one of the easiest and tastiest ways to add flavor to grilled and roasted foods. Many can be made with items already in your pantry — and unlike commercially prepared ones — when you make your own you can control the salt and the heat. And for those of us looking to avoid food additives ( MSG, maltodextrin, caramel color, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, cellulose, tricalcium phosphate) making our own is the only way to go.
But our favorite reason to make rubs from scratch is it allows for more creativity. Try finding Herbes de Luberon Rub ( a refreshingly different blend of basil, marjoram, lavender, fennel and salt) or Wine Salt Rub ( a mixture of fruity white wine, salt, thyme, lemon zest and sugar) at the grocery store.
Most of the following blends will keep for several weeks ( if not months) in airtight containers in a cool pantry or longer in the freezer. The exceptions are those made with fresh herbs and/ or moist ingredients. Those should be used within a day or two or refrigerated.
And taking a tip from Ian Hemphill in The Spice and Herb Bible ( third edition), for the best flavor make the rub several hours or days before you plan to use it. “A phenomenon that often goes unrecognized with spice blends is that they ‘ round out’ and become better balanced when cooked or after about 24 hours of storage,” Hemphill writes.
Many rubs and spice blends call for seasoned salt, which itself is a blend. The following is an MSGfree version. Try it in place of plain salt. We especially liked it on roasted potatoes.
No- MSG Seasoned Salt
2 tablespoons fine grain salt 2 teaspoons granulated sugar ½ teaspoon sweet paprika ¼ teaspoon turmeric ¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark pantry for up to 6 months.
Makes about 3 ½ tablespoons.
Recipe adapted from food. com
This French- style rub is ideal for poultry including duck and goose.
Herbes de Luberon Rub
½ cup dried basil 2 tablespoons dried marjoram 1 ½ tablespoons dried lavender flowers
1 ½ tablespoons coarsely ground fennel seeds 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and store in cool, dark pantry for up to 6 months.
To use: Sprinkle generously on strong- flavored meats such as duck and goose; use a lighter touch on chicken or turkey. Massage mixture
over and under the skin. Allow seasoned meat to sit for 30 minute to 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 8 hours before cooking. Makes about ¾ cup. Variation: Herbes de Luberon Rub for Lamb, add 1 tablespoon dried rosemary.
Recipe adapted from The Barbecue Lover’s Big Book of BBQ
Sauces by Cheryl and Bill Jamison
This one is good on vegetables.
1 tablespoon dried parsley ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 teaspoons No- MSG Seasoned Salt
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder ¾ teaspoon onion powder Heaping ¼ teaspoon dried
thyme 1 teaspoon powdered milk 2 teaspoons buttermilk powder, optional
Ranch- Style Seasoning
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and store in cool, dark pantry for up to 6 months. If using buttermilk powder, store mix in the refrigerator.
Makes a scant ¼ cup.
Try this delicately flavored rub on seafood, fish or chicken.
Jasmine- Citrus Rub
2 teaspoons loose- leaf
jasmine tea 4 teaspoons fresh OR 1 ¼
teaspoons dried lemon zest 2 tablespoons fresh OR 2
teaspoons dried orange zest 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Using a spice grinder, whirl the tea to fine powder. Combine it with the remaining ingredients and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week if using fresh citrus zest, or in a cool, dark pantry for up to 3 months if using dried.
To use: Sprinkle on chicken, scallops or fish or toss with shrimp. Let stand 5 to 15 minutes before cooking.
Makes about ¼ cup.
Try this smoky- sweet rub on vegetables, pork or chicken.
Smoky Sweet Paprika Rub
¼ cup smoked paprika 2 tablespoons mustard powder 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon crumbled dried
thyme 1 tablespoon regular or
roasted garlic powder 1 tablespoon toasted cumin
seed 1 tablespoon toasted coriander
seed 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark pantry for up to 3 months.
To use: Sprinkle on vegetables just before cooking. For pork or chicken, coat and let stand about 1 hour before cooking.
Recipe adapted from The Barbecue Lover’s Big Book of BBQ
Sauces by Cheryl and Bill Jamison
This rub is particularly good sprinkled on corn- onthecob and summer squash.
Smoky Ancho Rub
¼ cup ground ancho chile powder ¼ cup smoked paprika ¼ cup kosher salt 1 tablespoon smoked salt 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder
¾ teaspoon celery seed
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark pantry for up to 3 months.
To use: Sprinkle on vegetables just before cooking. For pork or chicken, coat and let stand about 1 hour before cooking.
Recipe adapted from The Barbecue Lover’s Big Book of BBQ Sauces by Cheryl and Bill Jamison
This rub complements pork and fish as well as eggplant and zucchini.
Wine- Salt Rub
2 cups fruity white wine such as Riesling or gewurztraminer ¾ cup coarse salt 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
leaves 2 strips lemon zest, finely
chopped 1 cup granulated sugar
In a medium heavybottomed saucepan over medium heat, simmer the wine until it is reduced by half, 20 to 30 minutes; adjust heat to low and continue to cook down until you have 2 tablespoons wine remaining.
In a food processor, combine the salt, thyme leaves, lemon zest and reduced wine. Pulse 2 or 3 times. Add sugar and pulse again until the mixture is the texture and consistency of damp sand. If mixture is moister, spread it out onto a baking sheet and let it dry several hours or overnight on the counter. ( If it is really humid outside, place the baking sheet inside a cold oven.)
Store rub in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
To use: Spread rub all over meat and cover meat tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 8 hours.
Makes about 2 cups.
Recipe adapted from The Essential New York Times Grilling Cookbook edited by Peter Kaminsky
Dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend made with nuts and spices, is delicious sprinkled on fish, vegetables and fruit after grilling.
Dukkah
⅓ cup pistachios ⅓ cup almonds 1 tablespoon coriander seed 1 tablespoon cumin seed 1 tablespoon caraway seed 1 teaspoon crushed or ground Aleppo pepper or other medium- hot chile 3 tablespoons sesame seeds 2 teaspoons fine salt 1 teaspoon nigella seeds ( see note) 1 teaspoon dried mint 1 teaspoon lemon zest ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
Roughly chop the nuts; set aside. In a spice grinder, coarsely grind the coriander, cumin and caraway seeds. Combine the nuts, ground seeds and remaining ingredients and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for 1 month. Makes about 1 cup. Note: Nigella seed is available at Middle Eastern markets and specialty spice shops such as Dandelion in Little Rock and The Spice and Tea Exchange in Bentonville.
Recipe adapted from The Essential New York Times Grilling Cookbook edited by Peter Kaminsky
This rub, rich with coffee flavor, works well with pork and beef.
Espresso- Chile Rub
2 tablespoons espresso
powder 3 tablespoons ground chile
powder such as ancho 3 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and store for up 3 months.
Makes about ¾ cup.
This rub is good on chicken as well as steak.
Cocoa- Chile Rub
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon hot chile powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and store for up 3 months. Makes about ½ cup.