Dry Rub for Ribs, Dry Rub Ribs Info-
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 passionate 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-

• mskeno1959's Have List
  12 Mar 2010 at 9:19pm
  (2) Febreze Fabric Refresher, Any - P&G's Home Made Simple Booklet $1.00/1 Home Mailer (Exp. 10/31/2010)
  
• PurrMinn's Have List
  6 Mar 2010 at 9:48pm
  I am looking to trade for wishlist items, unused forever/0.44 stamps (IDSO!), high value diaper coupons (prefer long expiration dates), or GC
  
• GIVEAWAY! When is Scum a GOOD Thing?
  12 Mar 2010 at 11:19am
  ...would also be great on shrimp, pork, steak, or fish. Used in Gumbo,paella, on a slab of ribs. Plain or with other herbs in a dry rub.
  
• Open Flame: American Style BBQ
  10 Mar 2010 at 4:14pm
  ...of preparation, such as whether one should use a dry rub or a wet rub, type of marinade and ... Pork is king ? shredded or pulled
  
• Ragin? Good Ribs
  8 Mar 2010 at 10:03am
  ...start with a nice rack of baby back pork ribs from ... Take the rack of ribs and administer the dry rub: season the ribs with the mixture of
  
• Manic Monday: Pork Ribs, Baseball, and Shel Silverstein!
  8 Mar 2010 at 8:43am
  INGREDIENTS   2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs   Dry Rub:    8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed   3 tablespoons kosher salt
  
• Williams Eatery & Gathering Place - Yellow Springs, Ohio
  4 Mar 2010 at 5:45pm
  ...as pulled pork sandwiches go, it was aces - but one superior sandwich exists at Tony Roma's. I have a feeling the trump may lie in the dry-rub...