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Spark the flavor
By JANET K. KEELER, Times Staff Writer
The explosive flavor of spice rubs can give your Fourth of July party guests more than fireworks to oooh and aaah over. The grand finale was exciting but, honey, what did you do to that chicken? Now, that was spectacular, they'll say. Go ahead and share the recipe for Salt-Free Lemonade Chili Rub. Rubs are an easy way to fancy up pedestrian meat, poultry or fish, or brighten the flavor of better cuts of meat. Even vegetables and tofu can be enhanced by applying spices just before grilling. A simple yet punchy sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper mixture hits the right note with lean, tender filet mignon. For milder chicken, sprinkle on a strong amalgam such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne. "I would use a rub pretty much anytime," says Chris Schlesinger, cookbook author and owner/chef of the Black Eddy in Westport, Mass., and the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Mass. His newest book, the eighth co-authored with John Willoughby, is Let the Flames Begin (W.W. Norton & Co.; $30) and focuses on tips and techniques for "real live fire cooking." Schlesinger is not a fan of marinades. In fact, he thinks they are more or less a waste of time. "People generally use marinades to tenderize," he says. "I don't think they really tenderize meat. The acid in them makes the meat mushy. Plus the marinade penetrates only about one-fourth inch over 24 hours. "Remember when our mothers marinated flank steak in Italian dressing?" he asks. "All we tasted was the dressing." He'll have plenty of detractors over his dismissal of marinades, but nevertheless Schlesinger advocates rubs for everything grillworthy. The use of rubs can be traced at least to the Civil War era but it has just been in the last 15 years that rubs have become well-known outside the barbecue competition circuit. Rubs, along with pastes, marinades and sauces, will continue to grow in popularity as the barbecue rage continues unabated. American rubs have strong regional influences. Blackened Cajun seasoning is the hallmark of Louisiana blends, slightly sweet Old Bay seasoning is predominant in rubs of the Chesapeake Bay region and fiery chilies are common in the Mexican-inspired flavorings of the Southwest and West. "Rub," though, is sort of a misnomer because the spices are not always massaged into the meat. Some cooks sprinkle the rub and then gently pat. Spice blends not pressed into the meat will be less intense, an effect that suits some tastes just fine. "Technically, a rub is any dry powder applied to a meat's surface prior to cooking," writes Obie Obermark, maker of Obie-Cue's Texas Spice, on the Web site www.fiery-foods.com. Obermark is the winner of many barbecue competitions and a past executive director of the International BBQ Cookers Association. He knows a lot about the science of rubs. The way they work, Obermark writes, is that when meat is heated, its surface becomes more porous and flavorings are taken in. The spices help meat, fish or poultry retain juices. The heat of the grill causes the meat to throw off liquid but the spices grab that liquid and push it back in. "A rub can protect the meat the entire time it's on the fire," writes Obermark. Plus, rubs won't scorch the way tomato-based barbecue sauces do. Rubs need only be applied one to two hours before cooking for most meats to have their flavors meld with the meat. For fish, wait until about a half hour before it goes on the grill. The fish will be overpowered by a rub left on too long. (See related story on this page about how long to leave rubs on.) You'll need about 2 teaspoons of rub for every pound of meat. Obermark cautions novices to be mindful of the alchemy of salt and sugar. Salt helps carry flavor into the meat but it can also draw out moisture. Because of that, it's best not to heavily salt lean meat such as chicken or pork. In those instances, rubs with sugar form a protective crust. Also, watch the temperature of the grill. Sugary rubs scorch over high heat when what you want is caramelization. That happens over medium heat. If you want to grill beef at high heat, stay away from sweet rubs. Schlesinger advises tackling rubs in three stages. Stage One: Salt and pepper. "Try to understand how they work and use the best quality of each. Salt is a flavor rounder with your taste buds. I always tell my guys (in his restaurants' kitchens) to put on too much." Stage Two: "Work with fresh coriander seed, which is the berry of cilantro, grind it and mix it with a little (ground) cumin. Coriander is not overpowering at all. It's a very exotic flavor. Use just coriander, salt and pepper and your guests will say 'Wow, what's this?' Then add some cumin and see (how you like it)." Stage Three: "Look at the spice profiles of different cultural combinations such as Asian and Latin. Begin to introduce heat or pastes and start using garlic, ginger, fresh herbs." The beauty of rubs, aside from their quick application, is that they can be made to suit most diets. They are all nearly fat-free, something that can't be said of marinades, which traditionally contain lots of oil. People who are on sodium-restricted diets can go easy on salt and get their punch from other spices. Sugar-free spice blends are easy to make and are available commercially. That's a help for diabetics and others watching sugar intake. The heat of the grill is tailor-made to bring out the best in rubs but they can also be used in the oven or broilers, on stove-top grill pans or the popular George Foreman grill. For oven application, sear the meat at a high temperature for the first quarter of cooking time and then turn down the heat for the remainder. Beer always goes well with barbecue but Schlesinger says there are a host of wines that will compliment distinctive rubs. A lovely compliment would be Rhone varietals, syrah and mourvedre, or crisp Alsatian wines such as riesling, pinto gris and gewurztraminer. Those stand up to spicy heat. Rose is made for summer, he says. Ignore the bad rap, he urges, and try a good quality pinky. A white sangria would also be a nice choice, especially with fish, chicken and pork. Whatever the beverage, raise a glass to independence and give that steak a good rub-down. You'll make some fireworks of your own. Letting the spices meldHere are guidelines from Steven Raichlen's Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades (Workman Publisher, 2000; $12.95) for how long rubs should be put on different foods. Very small foods, such as shrimp and scallops: 10 to 20 minutes. Thin cuts of single-serve portions of meat, such as boneless chicken breasts and fish fillets: 30 to 90 minutes. Thicker cuts of single-serve portions of meat, such as steaks and chops: one to three hours. large or tough cuts of meat such as racks of ribs and whole chickens: four hours to overnight. Very large or tough cuts of meats such as whole turkeys, briskets, pork shoulders or fresh hams: Overnight to 24 hours before cooking. Salt-Free Lemonade Chili Rub
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir or whisk to mix. Transfer to a jar, cover, and store away from heat and light. The rub will keep for several months. Makes 1 cup. Source: Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades by Steven Raichlen (Workman Pub., 2000; $12.95). Lone Star Steak Rub
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir of whisk to mix. Transfer to a large jar, cover, and store away from heat and light. The rub will keep for several months. Makes 1-1/2 cups. Source: Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades by Steven Raichlen (Workman Pub., 2000; $12.95). Dry Tuscan Rosemary Rub
Place the rosemary in a bowl and crumble the needle leaves between your fingers to break them into small pieces. Stir in oregano, sage, garlic, salt and pepper. Transfer to a jar, cover, and store away from heat and light. The rub will keep for several months. Makes 3/4 cup. Source: Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades by Steven Raichlen (Workman Pub., 2000; $12.95). Moroccan Rub
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within three months. Makes about 1/3 cup. Source: www.diabetic-lifestyle.com. Asian Blend
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within three months. Makes about 1/2 cup. Source: www.diabetic-lifestyle.com. Mustard-Garlic Rub
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within three months. Makes about 1/3 cup. Source: www.diabetic-lifestyle.com
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