Pit Masters Rub

Sometimes salt and pepper just isn't enough. Sometimes you want, no, you NEED to taste something more. The mere thought of that same mid-week chicken or pork chop dinner brings tears to your eyes. It's all too familiar flavor is a painful reminder that your still days away from the freedom of your weekend. With a little preparation you can do what I do and reach for some "Pit Master's Rub".

In the deep south where BBQ is treated more like religion than a cuisine, pit masters concoct secret blends of herbs and spices. These blends or "rubs" allow the pit master to create a very specific flavor profile. These can take years to perfect and no two are the exact same. They can be as simple as salt, pepper, and a little sugar or they can be an exotic mixture of twenty or more herbs and spices. A true pit master would rather give up his first born son than hand over the recipe for his rub. I too have a secret blend that even my wife doesn't know how to make. I highly recommend you take the time to experiment and create your own. In the meantime, feel free to use this excellent blend as a starting point.

This rub isn't just for meat either. Give it a try on your veggies too. The flavor profile is a balance of salty, savory, sweet and just a hint of heat at the end.

Two things I should mention about the recipe.  The rub tastes very different in it's raw stage from how it will taste once it's added to the food and cooked.  Lastly, if your rub looks slightly different in color from mine have no fear. It will depend somewhat on the brands of spices you use.  

List of Ingredients - (makes about 2 cups)     

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons smoked paprika (sweet paprika will work just fine)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Simply combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container until ready for use.  Enjoy!