Flavor Agents: Rubs, Marinades and Mops

Basic barbecue rub for first timers

· ¼ cup brown sugar

· ¼ cup seasoned salt

· ¼ cup Hungarian paprika, can replace a portion with smoked paprika if you have it

· 1 T black pepper

· 1 T either garlic salt or onion salt

This basic rub probably includes stuff you have in the house right now and will add great flavor and color to your ‘cue.

Current BRE (Best Rub Ever) – subject to change without notice

Cow version

· ¼ cup Brown sugar

· 1/3 cup Paprika

· 1/3 cup Seasoned salt

· 2 T Smoked paprika

· 1 T Ground black pepper

· 1 tsp Cumin

· ½ tsp Dry mustard

· ½ tsp Jerk pork spice from Penzey’s

Pig version

· 1/3 cup Brown sugar

· 1/3 cup Paprika

· 1/3 cup Seasoned salt

· 1 T Smoked paprika

· 1 T Ground black pepper

· 1 T Salt

· ½ tsp Dry mustard

· ½ tsp Jerk pork spice from Penzey’s

This recipe makes enough for 3-4 briskets, including the burnt ends or several racks of ribs. I use variations of this rub on other stuff, too and have not found anything that is does not work on. 

This is almost as good as the rub I can't tell you about unless you are part of the family. Start with this and adapt to make your own BRE.

Fabulous Five Ingredient Rub From Pete's Mate

· 1 Tbsp salt

· 1 Tbsp sugar

· 1 Tbsp paprika

· 1 ½ tsp Vindaloo seasoning

· 1 tsp ground black pepper

This terrific rub was created by the lovely and gracious Mrs. Pete. She has a real knack with spices and flavors. Vindaloo seasoning is available from Penzey’s catalogs or on line at Penzeys.com. Vindaloo has several ingredients so this is not a five flavor rub. It is more complex than that and yet really simple to make. 

This rub is great on brisket with a horseradish slather. Do not spread it on too thick, beef is still the best flavor ever and should not be overpowered. This rub is only pretty good on pork.

NASCAR rub

· 1 Tbsp salt

· 1 Tbsp sugar

· 1 Tbsp ground black pepper

· 1 Tbsp ground Ancho chilies or Ancho chili powder

· 2 tsp ground thyme

· 1 ¼ tsp ground rosemary 

Some famous chef was interviewed at a race and listed these ingredients as a great all purpose rub for grilling or barbecue. Your old pal Pete worked out the proportions and agrees. This simple rub will give you great barbecue flavor with a little bite from the Anchos. This is especially good on pork.

Wet stuff

Pete’s Simple Mop or Spray Solution

· 1 ½ or 2 parts apple juice

· 1 part Dr. Pepper

Use this to spray or mop on any meat that is cooked for a long time. Meat will absorb smoke in the first hour or two, after that smoke will not improve flavor and can add bitterness. Once the meat has been smoked, keeping it moist and juicy is critical. Mopping or spraying every 30-45 minutes helps keep moisture in the meat. Using a sugary solution can add to color and flavor.

Notes: I spray this on pretty much everything I smoke. It is simple and works on any kind of meat. Apple juice alone works well, too. 

Einstein said "Things should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler" and we won't argue with Al but the DRP adds a little complexity. After a little practice, experiment with different flavors with your sprays or mops. Do not spray cold stuff on meat that is in the process of being cooked, have your spray or mop at room temperature or higher. 

If there are no chunks in what I am using, I prefer to spray because it is easier and less messy. If you have chunks or something ticker than this, use a mop. Cooking or grilling stores will have a small floppy mop that can be used to apply the mop solution.

Guinness Brisket Mop - Pete's almost undefeated mop solution

• 1 Bottle Guinness Extra Stout, allowed to go flat
• 1/4 cup "cue sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Worsterchestershister sauce
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter

Mix liquid ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat to boiling or at least close.  Let cool a bit, then add butter.  Keep warm so that the butter stays melted.  This adds great flavor and color.  The butter helps to make a dark crust that is also soft enough to slice easily.  If you want championship brisket, give this a try!

Primo Brisket Mop Adapted from Paul Kirk (p 76)

· Beer – one bottle of medium to dark beer allowed to go flat, lager works best.

· ½ cup barbecue sauce – use some commercial sauce or make your own

· ¼ cup soy sauce

· ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

· 1 T sugar or brown sugar

· 1 T ground black pepper

· 1 tsp salt

· ¼ tsp ground cumin

Blend ingredients together over medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so, stirring frequently.

This is great stuff for mopping a brisket while smoking. Mop first after 4 hours and then every 45 minutes or so until done. Use this at room temperature or warmed slightly.

Special Rib Goo (SRG) - the key to finishing your ribs

• 1 part Apple Juice or AJ+DRP
• 2 parts 'cue sauce
• 2 parts honey

Mix and keep warm, paint or brush on ribs when they are nearly done.  For more detail check out the competition rib recipe.

Way good basting sauce for grilled chicken

· 1 stick butter

· 4 Tbsp soy sauce

· 3 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic

· ½ tsp black pepper

Melt the butter over low heat, then add other ingredients and blend with a whisk. Baste this on chicken breasts, thighs, legs, whatever while grilling. Chicken should be basted three or four times on each side. This recipe makes enough for about eight chicken breasts.

Variations – a few finely chopped pecans add a little something and go well with the other flavors. Also, after the chicken in cooked, garnish with a little chopped fresh Elvis (parsley). 

This basting sauce can be good tossed on some grilled vegetables or potatoes, too. To do that, separate the batch into two containers prior to cooking so that the basting brush that touches the raw chicken does not touch the sauce for the veggies.

Read this mini-homily: Butter matters! Petesmeats.com will never include margarine in a recipe. Use that disgusting yellow goo to grease the wheels on your kids’ bike or your lawnmower but do not call it food in my house. Butter tastes, looks and melts better and adds great color to cooked foods. A little butter will not kill you, just do not eat the whole stick. Those irritating Frenchies eat butter every day and they seem to live forever. They eat foie gras, too, though and I can’t defend that.

Starter mustard and horseradish slather

· Yellow mustard

· Real horseradish (the strong stuff, not the mayonnaise-like weaker stuff)

Mix about three parts mustard and one part horseradish to create a nearly smooth, yellow concoction. Apply it with a brush to all surfaces of the meat to be smoked. Apply rub after slather is on.

Notes: Do not put the slather on too thick. A light painting over the surfaces is fine. A brisket (flat half) will require about 1/4 to 1/3 cup. The slather will not impart any mustard flavor or yellow color so do not worry that it looks odd when it goes in the smoker, it will look some kind of fabulous when it comes out.

Basic brine solution

· 1 quart water

· ¼ cup kosher salt

· ¼ cup sugar

Use this for brining any lean meat such as pork chops, pork tenderloin, turkey (or chicken) breast or whole turkey, etc. 

Place meat in a Ziploc bag, add enough brine to immerse, close and place in refrigerator for 1-4 hours. A whole turkey can be brined overnight in a clean trash bag. Never cook a turkey again without brining, this makes the meat much juicier. Beef is not improved by brining.

Notes: There are lots of possible additions or substitutions to add flavors. Minced garlic, garlic juice, green onions or onion juice can be added to taste. Apple juice, Coca Cola or Dr. Pepper (try it!) can replace the sugar and part of the water. Do not use diet varieties, the sugar is the key. Also, make sure to use kosher (or rock) salt. If you only have table salt available, use half as much as indicated.

White wine marinade #1 – for chicken or pork

· 1 cup dry white wine (fume blanc or sauvignon blanc are best, chardonnay is OK)

· ¼ cup olive oil

· 2 T sugar

· 2 green onions, chopped

· Two garlic cloves, minced

· Juice of one lime

· Juice of one lemon

· 1 tsp salt

· 1 tsp ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together. Marinate chicken breasts, pork chops, etc. in a Ziploc bag for one or two hours before grilling.

White wine marinade #2 – for chicken or pork

· ½ cup semi-dry white wine (chardonnay will work)

· ¼ cup olive oil

· ¼ cup clover honey

· ¼ cup Dijon mustard

· Four garlic cloves, chopped

· ½ tsp salt

· ½ tsp ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together. Marinate chicken breasts, pork chops, etc. in a Ziploc bag for one or two hours before grilling.

This marinade is sweeter than #1 and has the distinctive flavor of Dijon mustard.

Balsamic marinade (adapted from Paul Kirk, p. 61)

· ½ cup balsamic vinegar

· ½ cup cider vinegar

· ¼ cup apple cider (or apple juice)

· 2 tablespoons pressed garlic

· 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

· 1 tablespoon minced parsley leaves

· 1 cup olive oil

Mix first six ingredients in glass or steel bowl. Slowly add olive and mix with a wire whisk until well blended.

Notes: Very flavorful. Use on steak or pork chops. Best on beef with some fat, like a ribeye steak, rather than a really lean piece like sirloin. Marinate one to four hours but not longer.

Fajita marinade (adapted from Paul Kirk, p. 66)

· 2/3 cup soy sauce

· ½ cup fresh lemon juice (4 or 5 lemons)

· ½ cup pineapple juice

· ½ cup canola or olive oil

· 2 T fresh lime juice

· 2 T sugar

· 2 T cracked black peppercorns

· 1 t dry mustard

· 1 t ground cumin

· 1 t salt

· 1 t cayenne pepper

Mix in a glass or steel bowl, whisk until well blended.

Notes: The Baron is known for barbecue but he has lots of other great ideas, too. Marinate chicken breasts (cut into thirds) or pork chops (cut into 1 inch strips) for at least two hours. Grill over high heat and serve as a main course or cut into smaller strips for fajitas.

Fajita tip #1: Warm tortillas make fajitas even better. Warm them in a microwave for 30 seconds or so, covered with a paper towel. Then place them in a tortilla warmer (which costs only a couple of bucks and makes you look very professional) for serving. 

Fajita tip #2: Get a cast iron griddle for your grill or a good cast iron skillet to use to cook the peppers and onions for your fajitas. Try Primo grilled peppers and onions, along with meat made with this fajita marinade. 

Add fresh salsa, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, whatever else you like. If you get the meat right and the peppers and onions right it will be all good.

Fajita conversation starter: Sex and fajitas are the only things that appeal to all five senses. If there was any reason to lick a new car it could get on the list, too but there are plenty of things that appeal to four of the five senses. If you can think of anything else that gets all five, email to pete@petesmeats.com and I will give you credit.

Guinness Marinade for Steak

· 1 cup Guinness Extra Stout

· ½ cup finely chopped red onion

· 1/3 cup soy sauce

· 2 T light molasses

· 1 T finely chopped thyme

· 1 T chopped garlic

· ½ t Worcestershiestersher sauce

· 2 t pepper

This is great for a flavorful steak with some fat like a Ribeye or KC Strip. We used it on tri-tip steaks and it was great. 

Whisk ingredients together. Place 2-3 lb of steak in a gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Pour marinade over steak and seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Marinate 12-24 hours in refrigerator, turning once or twice.