Dry rub for Ribs-
Piggy Ribs

Eating barbecue ribs that have been prepared without a dry rub is like going to the beach on a cloudy day. Things are not so cheerful, you know what's missing, but you get through it. Right near all barbecue professionals and passioante amateurs use some form of barbecue dry rub for ribs. For the major impact it makes on flavor and appearance, using a good rub is NOT a step you can afford to skip. Do NOT waste your time trying to get the most flavorful ribs if you think dry rubs are not mandatory. (At least don't serve them around here...lol.)

Here's the Rub:

We don't want to open a 40-gallon barrel of worms, but when you decide to use a dry rub for ribs, you may find yourself being pulled into the sauce wars by accident. It is a tale of two cities. Those who prepare ribs in the style of Kansas City usually make sure they're served with a tomato and/or molasses-based thick, sweet sauce. Those who prepare ribs in the style of Memphis usually serve the ribs 'dry', meaning without sauce. These are not laws, but more like guiding principles. Yes, there are other factions in the sauce war saga, but let's please not get into it here.

What does this have to do with the dry rub?

With Kansas City-style ribs having a sweet and thick sauce, the dry rub is made with a base of sugar, like brown sugar. With Memphis-style ribs served 'dry', the rub is made of a base of spices and salt with very little sugar, if any. Do what you like. We like our dry rub on the sweet side.

Stop! The salt dries the meat, and the sugar burns on it!

Yes, yes, salt WOULD dry the meat if we caked it on and hung the ribs for months in a smokehouse. We have seen that the juices of the meat mix with the salt to carry the flavors of the sugar, spices, etc. into the ribs. Sugar by itself would do a similar thing. (Remember the great taste of salt or sugar cured ham?)

Sugar begins to burn at temperatures higher than what's good for slow-and-low cooking. What is more critical is that the heat source always be indirect. It has been suggested that you turn up the heat at the end of cooking to carmelize any sugar in your rub for ribs, but that method may prove hard to control. to top

Find a great dry rub for ribs in our store.

A dry rub for ribs will:

• -enhance the appearance of ribs; paprika or chili powder usually is what makes the redder part.
• -help to seal in the juices and the flavor they contain.
• -compliment the ribs' flavor: sugar, salt, spice = yum!
• -create a delicious crust or 'bark' on the ribs....hungry yet?

The basic dry rub and spices-

A good base for most any rub (except Memphis style!) is equal parts of:
1) brown sugar,
2) salt (fine, coarse, sea)
3) black pepper, (fine grind, coarse grind)
4) and paprika (store, home grind, gourmet)

**There are many dry rubs that are not without their share of garlic and/or onion, but these may truly make up a secondary level of 'basic'.

To that, you can add almost any spice for any degree of extra taste experiences. You can seek out spices that are sweet, tart, tangy, pungent, spicy, exotic, or just plain weird.

A sampling of dry rub spices found all over includes: allspice, cinnamon, anise, chili pepper, paprika, cumin, mustard, sage, lemon pepper, nutmeg, thyme, ginger, celery salt, white pepper, cayenne, chili powder, oregano, basil, curry, rosemary, dill weed.

Find a great dry rub for ribs in our store.

Tips: dry rub for ribs-

Dry Rubs articles-

• Economy in the Dumps Penne Pasta
  11 Oct 2008 at 7:13pm
  cheapest cuts of meat I could find at the butcher. I seasoned a round roast and several country style, bone in, pork spare ribs with my favorite dry rub. I then quickly seared the meat, in several batches so I did not overload the pot, in olive oil over medium-high heat.
  
• Slow Roasted Cajun Ribs
  9 Oct 2008 at 5:00am
  Ingredients ( Dry Rub) 3 Tbsp Dried Thyme ... 2 Tbsp Paprika ... 2 Tbsp Packed Brown Sugar ... succulent flavor you come to expect from pork ribs.
  
• Four Brick Butterflied Chicken
  8 Oct 2008 at 8:08am
  ...ready for the dry rub. The dry rub I use for chicken like is similar to my spare ribs dry rub ... The big difference between my pork and my
  
• Girl Scouts? Winning Ways (BBQ Edition)
  6 Oct 2008 at 3:43pm
  Baby back pork ribs or country style ribs (quantities for about 4 lbs.) Dry Rub: 2T. Salt ... 3T. Brown Sugar ... 3T. Granulated Sugar...
  
• Pork Spare Ribs: A Success Story!
  5 Oct 2008 at 11:17pm
  ...ribs and bought a 3 1/2 slab or pork spare ribs for ... She chose pandoranoir's directions from my previous post. Dry rub ... 1/2 cup brown
  
• 12:25 am
  5 Oct 2008 at 5:29pm
  My mother wanted ribs and bought a 3 1/2 slab or pork spare ribs for me ... ( Cut for dry rub recipe and pictures of the nom-ness that was dinner
  
• BBQ dry rub GREAT on Pork Chicken - Baby back ribs YUM
  4 Oct 2008 at 4:40pm
  US $0.01 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Oct-05-2008 14:40:54 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list...
  

Piggy Ribs