Ah, There’s the Rub
Photo by Jennifer May
From time to time the Butcher's Case will be featuring recipes from The Butcher's Guide to Well-Raised Meat, written by Fleisher's co-owners Joshua and Jessica Applestone. Today I want to start with a recipe that's versatile enough to appeal to virtually everyone reading this, no matter what kind of meat you like best: Fleisher's dry rub.
Although this rub is best known as the secret behind Fleisher's popular rotisserie chickens, it can also be applied to steaks, spareribs, roasts, or even seafood. Seriously, it pairs well with just about any protein, thanks in large part to the way the spicy paprika is offset by the herbaceous sage. Here's the recipe:
1/2 cup coarse saltIf you've never tried dry rubs before, give it a try. No matter what you like to cook, you'll find it packs more of a punch when you treat it with this rub.
1/2 cup dried sage
1/3 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion flakes
1/4 cup paprika
3 tablespoons dried thyme
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, rubbing the sage, thyme, and oregano between your palms to crush them as you add them to the mixture. The mix will keep in an airtight container for up to six months. Shake or mix well before applying to chicken, beef, pork, or seafood. Makes 2 cups.
Hamburger Helper: It's been a mixed bag lately for the Butcher's Case's favorite ballplayer, Texas Rangers pitcher Mark Hamburger. After pitching a perfect 1-2-3 inning in his big league debut last Wednesday, he lost his baseball virginity two nights later, getting roughed up for three runs in two innings. But then he recovered on Labor Day, tossing a scoreless inning. You can keep track of his game-by-game progress here.
When you use a rub, is it best to let the meat rest for a bit before you start cooking it, or do you put it straight into the oven? And I know slow cooking is best, but how low and how slow do you cook, say, a roast?
ReplyDeleteExcellent point -- yes, letting the rub rest on the meat for at least 10 mins. is always a good idea (or longer, if you can wait a bit).
ReplyDeleteCooking times and temps vary with the cut, the kind of meat, etc. Any decent recipe for a roast, steak, chop, etc., will be enhanced by this rub.
I needed this! Thanks, Paul.
ReplyDelete