Grillin' Time!

Hello again, all!

Now that the Summer Grilling Season is well underway, I thought I'd begin sharing some of my favorite barbecue recipes.

First, some clarification: there's a bit of a difference between "grilling" and "barbecue". The words are often interchangeable, but officially, you're grilling if you use high heat for a short period of time. On the other hand, barbecue (also known as "indirect grilling") refers to slower, lower-temperature cooking. So burgers, steaks, hot dogs, etc are grilled, while most larger cuts (like brisket or tri-tip) are barbecued/indirect grilled. Too much heat would burn the outside before the inside has a chance to cook at all!

There are lots and lots of variations---different approaches to similar meats---and I can't possibly address all of them at one time.

But one thing is common to all foods cooked on the grill (and elsewhere): seasoning. This rub recipe can be used for seasoning, too.



John's Barbecue Rub
(note: all ingredients are of the "dried" variety)
2 TBS rosemary leaves
1.5 TBS Kosher salt
1 TBS paprika
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 tsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper*
1 tsp ground white pepper*
3/4 tsp celery seed
(* the amount of black/white pepper can be adjusted upward, to suit your taste)
Using a mortar & pestle (an electric spice mill will work, too), grind the rosemary leaves and the thyme together with the salt (the salt will aid in the grinding of the herbs). When the mixture resembles fine sand, add the remaining ingredients and continue to grind, to incorporate. There will be a few larger bits of rosemary leaves...this is a good thing!
This recipe produces enough rub to cover 3-6 pounds of meat (depending on how heavy-handed you are). Any leftover amount can be stored indefinitely (covered container) in the fridge.
Originally intended as a rub for pork, but this stuff can be used on chicken or salmon with great results.