The Name Says It All

As all of you are aware, I adore trying new products and will tell it like it is. If I dislike it, I won't say a thing. If I like it, then I will do everything imaginable to tout and spread the word about it. I have never, nor WILL ever, charge for my opinion, put it on the back burner or disregard one single query when it comes to helping out my New England community.

This post is a little different. I have been speaking with a Texas-based company with regards to a summer staple...barbecue, and all its glory. Specifically, dry rubs.

I have never been a fan of dry rubs, no matter how good they sound or taste. Instead, focusing on sauces. Again, this time was a little different.

I received one of each dry rub from this company and was instantly blown away by the sizes of their containers. In the back of my mind, I was hoping and praying that something would set these people apart because, being a cheap Yankee, the $10 price tag was not a draw.

This is one of those instances where you absolutely cannot judge a book by its cover......or price tag.

Rubbin' Right seemed honest, friendly and neighborly enough over the phone and email that I thought that is where it would end. I would be sent a product or two that simply didn't, or couldn't, stand out amongst the others.

I have been proven wrong more times than I can say, and I am only have way done using their rubs!

Opening each one of them up, I swear I was taking one long leap to Texas! The aroma of each one of these rubs was distinct in its own aroma and I was able to tell which was which simply through the scent of each. That was the first crucial step...just another instance of proving me wrong.

I wanted to grab these 8 ounce containers and start sprinkling them over every protein and vegetable I had laying around the house. But I wanted to treat these rubs with a little dignity and Yankee ingenuity. Anyone and everyone can dust a rib and cook it. I chose to see if they would stand up to a Yankee touch, and again, I was pleasantly surprised and proven wrong again.

I only regret that I am only halfway done with my rubs, but I also need to share my delightful experience with this companies rubs as soon as possible.

I want to add that this is by no means the last you will hear about Rubbin' Right from me. When I am completely finished with all these seasonings, I will add another post, one that is more in depth, but in the meantime I would LOVE to give a big shout out to my new neighbors, my Texas friends Chuck Wagon Sally, Big Jim and of course Sharon. They have sent me some unique, tasty and uniquely-spiced rubs that have converted me completely. And for that, I thank you. These 8 ounce containers will last me, as it will you, throughout the summer months NOT because of the number of containers I have, but because these spice blends are potent enough that a little goes a long ways. See my recipes below and take a looooooong look at their website and do as I did, order them post haste.(The leaves are starting to fall off the trees here in Maine as we speak!)

　

Yankee Wet Country Ribs

 

How much simpler can you get? Rubbin' Right hit it out of the ball park with this seasoning. Taking this amped up barbecue rub and combining it with the taste of apple is a marriage not often tasted in ribs.

　

4 tablespoons Rubbin' Right All-Purpose Barbecue Rub
1 tablespoon frozen, unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 pound bone-in(optional)country-style pork ribs

Combine rub with apple juice and mix thoroughly in a large bowl. Place ribs into marinade, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 12.

When ready to cook, line a portion of your grill grate with tin foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Heat grill to low and place ribs on foil after shaking off excess marinade*. Close lid and cook for 1 1/2 hours, turning ribs often and basting with leftover rub mixture. Remove ribs when very tender and serve hot.

　

* These ribs are best cooked over indirect heat, so when lining grate with foil, try to place foil over a part of the grill where there will be no, or very little, direct flame.

Smoky Tennessee Ribs

 

Using oak wood chips is a great wood if you want the smokiness found in good ol' Tenessee bourbon, where they age their bourbon in oak barells. This Honey Bourbon Rub is such a great tribute to our great South, I had to use it to its' full potential, and I think you will agree these will be the hit of the picnic.

　

1 pound bone-in country-style pork ribs
About 2 tablespoons Rubbin' Right Honey Bourbon Rub
2 cups oak wood chips
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup bourbon *

　

Sprinkle rub evenly over all sides of the ribs and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Thirty minutes before cooking, soak wood chips with bourbon and water, making sure to add water to fully cover chips.
When ready to cook/smoke, drain wood chips and place in a large piece of heavy duty(not the thin stuff)aluminum foil and seal very well, with the sealed ends facing up. Place foil pouch over the drip pan that is located between the flame of the grill and the rack. If you don't have one, simply double wrap the wood chips with another layer of foil and place directly over heat source.
Turn only a part of your grill on high, leaving some portion of your grill without a flame, and close lid. After about 5 minutes, the foil pack with smoke. This is the time to place your ribs over the part of the grill with no heat. Close lid and cook 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is well done.
Remove meat and serve hot.(DO I really need to tell you how to get rid of the foil pack?)


* If you don't want to use your bourbon for smoking, simply use all water.

Serves 2

Salisbury Spiced Burgers

 

Why Salisbury? Because my parents had a true Salisbury Steak at their restaurants as I was growing up, and it was simply ground beef mixed with peppers and onions. It has been my favorite "steak" ever since.

　

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup minced bell pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons Rubbin' Right Combination Rub
4 hamburger rolls

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, pepper and onion, mixing well. Make 4 patties and sprinkle rub on both sides of each patty evenly(Don't skimp). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before cooking on your grill or inside in a skillet.



I am going to tell you outright, I have added a link to this great company throughout this post, so I highly urge you to take a peak at what these people have in store for your summer outing this year.

It's Grillin' Time!

Here is a quick rundown of various cuts of popular barbecue beef and a great, simple guide to help you spend less time trying to understand what you should be buying and more time in front of your grill, flipping away.

Top Round

This comes from the back leg. It is the least tender but marinating the top round before cooking helps somewhat. Slow or moist cooking methods such as stewing and braising are well represented by using top round. the term 'low and slow' are quite appropriate for this cut of meat

Sirloins

This is a tender cut from the lower torso and hip. In order of tenderness, the best-known sirloin steaks are; pin bone, flat bone, round bone and wedge bone. Quick cooking methods, such as grilling and broiling, as best suited for this cut.

Rib-Eyes

This comes from the rib section and is very tender and naturally moist. As sirloins above, quick cooking is the best way of cooking. Try placing a peeled onion in the center of a large square of tin foil. Pour a mixture of 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon minced garlic in oil and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper over the top. Crease well and grill in your outdoor grill for 20 minutes over indirect heat. Carefully open and pour contents over your Rib-Eye.

T-Bones

This comes from center of the short loin, just behind the ribs. Very tender and flavorful with a distinctive T-shaped bone which separates the small tenderloin from the larger top loin. Treat as you would a sirloin when cooking.

Porterhouses

This comes from the short loin behind the ribs and contains meat from both the tenderloin and top loin. Also contains a T-shaped bone but more tenderloin meat than the T-bone steak. One of the best-tasting and most expensive steaks on the market. Treat as you would a sirloin when cooking. My favorite way of serving porterhouse is simply broiling, or grilling, with blackened, grilled vegetables served with it. Plain and simple!

Tenderloins

This oblong-shaped cut spans the shot loin and the sirloin and is found beneath the ribs, next to the backbone. From the butt end to the tail, this cut does very little work, therefore it is the most tender part of the beef. Cut into filet mignons, roasts and steaks, they are expensive but worth that special gift to oneself.

For those of you who want to know just a little more and want to cook like a true barbecue aficionado, here is some more info to get you going this summer.

The brisket comes from the breast or lower chest area of the cow. It is considered one of the primal cuts. The brisket supports more than 60 percent of the entire weight of the cow which, in turn, produces more connective tissue. This results in meat that must be cooked 'low and slow and over indirect heat. During this type of cooking, the collagen(the connective tissue)gelatinizes, resulting in superior meat that everyone raves about in all barbecues.

Short ribs is very popular among BBQ enthusiasts as well. They are larger and packs more meat than its' cousin, Pork Spare Ribs. A full slab of short ribs is about 10-12 inches in length and about 3-5 inches thick. With about 4-5 ribs, thicker on one end and gradually thinning to the opposite end, I prefer to cut the ribs separately in order to cook consistently tender ribs. Country-Style short ribs is a cheaper version, which I prefer. They are actually a cut from the chuck eye roll, so not technically 'short ribs', but none-the-less, a great alternative to true Short Ribs.

Spare ribs come in both beef and pork. They are the most inexpensive of cuts and and found in the lower portion, around the belly and breastbone. They have a meat covering on top as well as in between. They are more meatier than Back Ribs.

Beef Back Ribs are basically the bones removed from the prime rib and are found as the next day specials in restaurants who have had a prime rib special the previous night. They are delicious but very little meat for the price. The term 'baby' indicates that the cuts are from market-ready hogs(roughly 250-pounds) rather than adult 500-pound hogs. The two most popular cuts of spare ribs are the St. Louis style, which has the sternum bone, cartilage and rib tips removed. Kansas City style ribs are meatier, but fattier, than the St. Louis cut and also have the bone removed. I honestly believe, however, that the terms St. Louis and Kansas City predominantly refer to the cooking methods and barbecue sauce flavors involved in the actual cooking.

I need to address one question that seems to be asked over and over again. Do you remove the skin. barbecue experts the world over have their own way of addressing this question, with the outcome being about 50/50. I believe that removing the skin helps the smoke flavor penetrate evenly throughout any rib, but some barbecue champs say that this makes the rib fall apart too easily. Well, my answer to that is quite simple! that is exactly what i want. Certainly they fall apart more readily BUT they don't fall apart to the point that are unmanageable and they seldom separate while cooking. To skin your ribs, simply loosen one corner of it from the meat with a slender utensil(even a flat-head screwdriver men) and grab a hold of it with a paper towel. Yank it and peel it off in one continuous pull. Use a clean pair of pliers if it is too slippery. If you don't want to deal with this skin, any butcher in any supermarket will remove it for you.

A brief telling of grades.

A Prime grade designation is such that a particular cut of meat is from young, well-fed cattle and has a lot of marbling. This marbling ensures great tenderness and flavor.

A Choice grade is high quality as well but has less marbling than the Prime designation. These cuts are best braised, which is roasted in a small amount of liquid in a closed pan in a 'slow' oven.

The Select grade is much leaner than the previous two grades. Generally tender in its own right, but because of even less marbling it lacks the punch of flavor of Prime and Choice. Marinating is perfect for this grade before cooking.

Let me tell you something that I do quite frequently. Because I am a thrifty Yankee, I often purchase select grades of meat to cook outside. I just cook these steaks over indirect heat, low and slow. Once cooked through(this works only if you want your steaks well done)I move it over to the direct heat to give it that charred effect and taste.

Find some great outdoor recipes on my site, theyankeechef.com.