What is a rub and how do i use it?

Most BBQ recipes call for some kind of seasoning or a rub - this can be as simple as just some sea salt or as a complex composition of ingredients. Why do we even need a rub?

Meats offer their own unique flavour and you could just cook them as they are. 

Food scientists have developed certain pairing of herbs and spices that really draw out the best flavours from each cut of meat.

A rub is different from seasoning in that it is only ever applied to the meat before cooking whereas seasoning can be applied at any point - often after cooking.

With Beef, there is usually a staple framework of ingredients called Salt Pepper Garlic (Known as SPG). 

Salt is absorbed into the beef, this then creates a tenderising brine which is reabsorbed back into the meat breaking down the muscle proteins into a tender juicy piece of meat.

An example of where salt

Pepper is used to bring out a subtle spiciness from cut without overpowering the flavours - it has also been found to reduce the carcinogenic compounds found in grilled meats. Pepper also literally makes your mouth water which allows the flavours to reach your taste buds faster.

Garlic is high in sulfur compounds - hence the smell! Most proteins are also high in sulfur which is why they pair well together to bring the best flavours from meats such as steak.

And what else? Literally the possibilities are endless - we like to add in paprika, Cumin, Thyme and ancho chilli into our standard SPG - SmokeWolfe Beef