Seasoned Beef Rub

Standing at my grocer’s meat counter, I scan the package labels, looking for quality meat that won’t throw my food budget into a tail spin. Talk about sticker shock! It’s the same old story; how to get the most flavor for the fewest dollars.

Back home in the kitchen, I ponder how to flavor the roast. One easy technique is mixing herbs and spices together and then rubbing it onto the meat, something of a dry marinating process that flavors but does not tenderize. This dry rub method can provide great flavor. It’s particularly useful for cheaper cuts of meat that require long, slow cooking.

A good, general purpose rub is one tablespoon each of garlic powder and onion powder combined with 1 ½ teaspoons ground pepper. This fairly mild mix can be used on any meat. I often precede my rub with a light application of olive oil (not the flavorless vegetable oil) to seal in the meat’s juices and help the seasoning stick to the meat.

Seasoned Beef Rub

Recipe by Ann McCormick, Herb ‘n CowgirlCourse: Main

Prep time

5

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

• Olive oil (lightly cover meat)

Directions

• Lightly cover meat with olive oil.
• Mix garlic powder, onion powder, and ground pepper together.
• Add spices to oiled beef and cook as usual.

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The classic rub for chicken and other birds is equal parts of finely ground rosemary, oregano, and sage. For a little extra kick, add a dash or two of cayenne. This can be rubbed directly onto the skin or inserted under the skin.

Adding the dry rub technique to your bag of culinary tricks is easy. Once you get the hang of it, you can reach for the less expensive cuts at the meat counter, knowing you can transform them into a tasty meal.