SPRING IS IN AIR AND THAT MEANS BBQ RUBS !

Alright I know it's just the middle of March but yesterday
it was a bright sunny fifty degree day which could be
the harbinger of spring and cooking on the BBQ.
Or in my case and most of us today the gas grill.
It's a guy thing, the flames, smoke, the heat and the can of beer.
Yesterday I took the time to walk through the stinky doggy sunroom
cleaned the grill and got it ready for cooking on it this year.
But now what to cook? I'm thinking vegitarian chicken.
Don't tell Tom that chicken is not a plant...

I remember years ago at cook outs and family picnics,
my Uncle Frank would spend hours tending over his
flavorful BBQ chicken and it was very good, very good.
Juicy, crispy, smokey and addictive.
He forgave me for eating his figs off his tree and
shared his secret recipe with me.
I swore I'd never tell a sole, Until today...

His secret was to brine the chicken
in a salty bath overnight in the fridge.
And a very yummy spice rub. BBQ rubs are a perfect alternative
for those who don't care for their meat smothered in sauce.
BBQ rubs can impart a lot of flavor to meat,
but since they are dry, it's less messy.
BBQ rubs can be sweet, salty, hot, or mild, and are easy to make,
BBQ rubs are usually dry, although they can be wet, or paste like.
Generally you spread them all over the meat and then grill as usual.
Some rubs are better if you let the meat sit
for a while before grilling, so it can absorb the flavor.
Be careful with recipes containing sugar, the sugar will burn.
If the rub also contains water, it will keep it from burning as easily,
but burnt sugar is bitter, so watch it.

My Uncle Franks BBQ rub recipe:
8 tablespoons smoked paprika
6 tablespoons garlic powder
6 tablespoons salt
5 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons black pepper
3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dry mustard

And a secret ingredient he didn't tell me about
but I knew about the wet hickory wood chips
along with the bbq briquets for the smokey effect.


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