A Good Rub

Mostly everyone has spent the last two or three months grilling meats.They also have been soaking those cuts and chops in marinades,thinking that they've doing the meat a favor. They aren't The best treatment for any cut is a good dry or semi dry rub. This is what brings out the flavor of the meat, whether it be beef, poultry  fish or lamb.

It was the subject of an article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section., The piece cowritten by Dining's latest regulars, John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger tells of the minuses of marinades and the pluses of a dry rub. A rub is infinitely better. It brings out the flavor of the meat better along with letting the rub's melange of flavors shine through.A marinade simply doesn't do this .It imparts a kind of washed out flavor. You may taste some of what's left over but it won;t be the robust zing as with the other . The two writers/chefs recommend adding the rub after the grilling for a better , sharper more focused taste

Both Mr. Willoughby and Mr. Schelsinger give very good recipes for meats and even vegetables.They use both traditional and nontraditional ingredients. Baby back ribs have a rub composed of dry roasted peanuts along with chili powder. It is actually a semi dry because again the unconventional orange juice and traditional hoisin sauce are also included into the mix. There is a chicken with a deconstructed pesto where the chicken is grilled first then tossed They also offer a simple lamb kebab with traditional Greek flavorings. What is different is the added twist of tomatoes with a simple salt and pepper rub and then a  toss into curry and minced golden raisins after a yogurt bath.

Put away those marinades. Think rubs, especially a rub after the meat's already been grilled. It means a tastier barbecue and a more flavorful and memorable taste

Kick Up The Grill With Indian Spices

By now everyone must be sick of barbecuing. It's the same thing dinner after dinner or party after party. meats are either  spritzed with lemon or lime or slathered with an overly sweet sauce. Yet barbecue can be revived with new spices and new cooking methods.

Reviving a tired barbecue menu was the subject of the New York Times Dining section article today.The piece, coauthored by John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger tells how any griller can make an end of season grilling exotic and tasty. Tne Indians have a certain way of dealing with enhnacing their food. Since there are so many different spices, how each one will be used is carefully thought out. For most newbies to this kind of cuisine it's best to start with the basic spices. According to the authors start with whole ones and grind them fresh. The aromatic oils within them start to act and are at their most powerful.There are also two methods to further bring out their flavors , roasting and letting them sit in oil. Both let the spices' flavors blooms and give optimum flavor.

What spices can liven up a mid summer grill? Chili and curry work wonders, especially curry which is just a great flavor. There's nothing like curried chicken or shrimp but you can also try a curried pork chop too for a different spin. Turmeric is another spice that would go well with any meat.Another plus is that it's good for you and can stave off cancer.It has a very mellow flavor, and would work well rubbed on chicken legs and wings and then have them crisped over the fire.What is great about these spices is that they can be combined to create a variety of flavors for any kind of meat., whether beef, poultry or fish.

Grilling can be boring if it's been done for the past two months. However a new injection of Indian spices can turn an ordinary rack of ribs or chicken into something special. It gives new life to tired barbecue.