Here's some general info. Start out simple and just add or subtract to your liking. Most rubs are general purpose and will work well with all kinds of meat. If you are interested in lamb or fish or something specific I can dig up some of those too.
*More About Rubs
1 In the science of rubs there's only a couple of rules to remember. First of all, don't overpower your cooking. Too much is far worse than not enough. This applies particularly to salt. Some people say that salt will dry out meats and should be avoided at all costs. Others say that salt enhances flavor and helps carry flavor into the interior of meats. My opinion is that generally salt is something for the table. Spices and herbs are what make a good rub. This isn't to say that you won't find me adding salt to something before it hits the grill or the smoker. I just prefer different flavors to be cooked in.
2 Another thing to remember is that sugars will caramelize and burn the surface of meats. So only use sugars, whether straight on derived from some other source like fruits, when slow cooking with indirect heat or at the end of cooking. If you want to use sugar in a rub, avoid refined white sugar at all costs. White sugar dissolves easily. A good sugar to use is turbinado sugar. You can usually find this kind of sugar in natural food stores. Turbinado sugar is a coarse raw sugar that has a molasses flavor and tends to not dissolve into meats as quickly as white sugar does.
3 The third thing to remember is the heat. No the cooking temperature but the spicy heat of chili powders or cayenne. A good rule of thumb is to avoid things that will make your dish too hot. Chili powders made from something like a Habanero can make a kind of heat many people find hard to cope with. When making a hot rub, remember who you're cooking for and take it a little at a time. Try starting out on the mild side and working your way up. It's better than throwing out a 12 hour smoked brisket because no one can eat it.
4 The last thing to remember is the secret of every famous chef or author of cook books. Write it all down. The perfect concoction is only worth a meal of two if you can't reproduce it. So when mixing rubs of your own, write down what you do. If it turns out terrible you can burn the paper in the grill and no one will ever know. But if it turns out wonderful you'll want to know how you did it.
5 Avoid excessive salts in your rubs. This means more than just limiting the table salt, look for salt in prepared spice mixtures as well.
Recipe Source
Author: Derrick Riches Your Guide to one of hundreds of sitesSource: Barbecues & Grilling
"Oh Baby, That's A What I Like" Rub No. 1
This rub was inspired by Nature Boy's Rib Rub. The title comes from the fact that I simply started with Nature Boy's rub and took out what I didn't like and threw in what I do like. Oh baby, that's a what I like!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 Tbs chile powder
1 Tbs celery salt
1 Ancho chile, ground to powder
Directions:
1 Grind the Ancho chile in a coffee grinder until it is a fine powder.
2 Combine all the ingredients, mix well. I mix mine in a small food processor.
3 Use liberally on anything that you damn well want to!
Recipe Source
Author: ©2002, The Naked Whiz
A Carolina Bbq Rub
2 Tbs salt
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs ground cumin
2 Tbs chili powder
2 Tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs cayenne pepper
1/4 cup paprika
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well; use as a dry rub on beef, chicken, lamb or pork.
Recipe Source
Author: Chuck OzburnSource: From Barbecue & Grilling at About.com
Memphis Style Rib Rub
Ingredients:
4 Tbs Paprika
2 Tbs Celery salt
2 Tbs Salt
2 Tbs Black pepper, coarsely ground
2 Tbs Cumin powder
2 Tbs Brown sugar, dark
1 Tbs Turbinado sugar
1 Tbs Oregano, dried
1 Tbs Cayenne pepper
2 tsp Sage, dried
2 Bay leaf(s)
1 tsp Dry mustard
Preparation:
1 Crush the bay leafs and combine all ingredients.
2 Just before serving, sprinkle with more rub.
Servings: 1
Slap yo' Momma butt Rub
Rub, Perfect for Boston Butts
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar (can be split into 1/2c brown 1/2 white)
1 Tbs garlic pepper
1/2 cup salt (can be split into 1/4 kosher 1/4 table)
1 tsp cinnamin
1/2 cup garlic salt
1 tsp coriander
1/2 cup spanish paprika (hungarian will work)
3 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs black pepper
1 pinch love
Preparation Directions:
1 slap it all together and mix it up
Servings: 1
Recipe Source
Author: Tember2
