Magilla The Griller

When we’re talking about seasoning grilled meat, the weekend-grill-warrior might do a nice marinade or a quick dash of S-n-P before engaging in our primal culinary pasttime.

But a serious contender for grilling yearns for the labor of love that is a slow, low heat; an all-day marathon of succulent goodness awaits.

But how to prepare the choice cuts of meat?

While styles and flavors abound, it amounts to two distinct styles: The Dry Rub and the Wet Rub (also called “sop”)

Any good dry rub has a base of salt, pepper, cayenne, chili powder and paprika. Other ingredients are added to this base (such as cinnamon, nutmeg, chives, garlic and/or onion powder, etc). In essence, your goal is to have the salt drawing out the moisture to mingle with seasonings and meat, allowing the flavors to permeate the meat.

There are several sacred places in the grilling/barbequing mythos; and for a solid dry rub, we’ll turn towards Kansas City:

Kansas City Style Dry Rub (for ribs)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

My best successes with dry rubs require pressing the rub evenly and firmly into the meat, then sealing up the cuts in a large zip-lock bag. Let the treated meat sit overnight in the refrigerator, then slow-cook to perfection.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for a well constructed wet rub (or “sop”). A good sop is generally (but not always!) held together by an emulsifier, like olive oil or corn syrup. A sop is also flavored with some alcohol (bourbon, beer, etc.).

Unlike a dry rub, the sop is “mopped” onto the meat during the cooking process. It requires fairly constant attention.

The end result is usually a sweeter finish (as compared to the more savory ingredients found in a dry rub). Sops are popular in the Caroline style barbeque.

Now, I’m personally not much for a sweet finish; I’m more of a “savory” kind of guy. But if you want a good rib sop without too much sweet, the basics are here:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix the ingredients together, cover and let it sit. I’d recommmend a day or two. You don’t need to mop the ribs until you’re already cooking them (it’s NOT a marinade). About half way through the slow-cook, start generously mopping the ribs. Do this every half hour until cooking is done. The vinegar will act as the tenderizing agent while the rest of the sop soaks in.

I like that the build-up is not as carbonized on the outside of the meat, as sop tends to layer if the temperature is too high.

(BTW – regardless of the style, be careful when using a wet or dry rub with sugar in it…if the grill is too hot, the rub will end up caramelizing on the meat. Yuck.)

Either way you go, wet or dry, the proof is in the eating and the style will always be as you like it.