Top 4 Tips on How to Use a Rub Before Grilling Meat

It’s in the name, right? You use a dry rub for grilling meats by rubbing it in. Except you shouldn’t according to some of the experts in the field of meat. Here are 4 tips for using your dry rub the right way.

1. Half seasonings, half salt – The 50-50 method for adding salt to your rub will give you just the right amount of salt to season. Salt is a flavor enhancer, so you don’t want to add all of the other seasonings but end up under-salting your meat.
2. Sprinkle, don’t rub – There are two reasons to sprinkle your rub on your meat rather than rubbing it in. First of all, by sprinkling from a height, you get a nice even coat of seasonings. This will prevent some of your meat from being over-seasoned and other parts from lacking flavor. Second, rubbing can clog the pores of the meat and keep flavors from penetrating, so this is especially important if you intend to smoke the meat.
3. Apply it the night before – This is primarily to give the salt time to work. If you are salting your meat separately from the rub, you can apply the dry rub just before it goes on the grill. If you are using the 50-50 method and putting the salt in your rub, you should apply the rub the night before or at least a couple of hours before cooking.
4. Don’t wrap it – This is especially true if your meat has a skin (e., a whole chicken or turkey). You want the skin to dry out so it will crisp rather than get floppy. Apply the rub and then leave it uncovered in the fridge until it is time to cook.