Dry Rub Recipe for Pork (2024)

FAQs

How long should dry rub sit on pork? ›

How long can you leave dry rub on pork? We recommend letting your pork seasoning sit on the meat for at least 30 minutes and no longer than 24 hours.

Some of my favorite herbs, spices, and seasonings to use as a pork chop seasoning are cumin, garlic, paprika, and chili powder. Some others that go well with pork are sage, rosemary, cayenne, thyme, and coriander. Brown sugar and clove are a great way to add in some sweetness.

But before you begin flavoring your food, make sure to pat it dry with a paper towel. This will make it easier for the binder and rub to stick. Once you've removed as much moisture as possible, cover your food with the sticking agent of your choice, like egg, olive oil, or mustard, to help the rub bind to the meat.

We suggest 3 parts brown sugar to the 10 parts salt. You can use white sugar, but if you do we suggest only 2 parts. After the salt and sugar, you want to add 6-8 parts total of all other spices. This will provide you with a half salt/half “the rest” ratio.

Don't keep the ribs coated for more than 12 hours. As we stated earlier, most dry rubs contain salt, which has a dehydrating effect, so prolonging the seasoning may work against you if you keep it on too long.

After seasoning with salt and pepper, liberally coat all sides of the pork with the barbeque rub so that all of the meat is coated in rub. Wrap the pork tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit in your fridge overnight. About 6 hours before you plan on smoking, take the pork out of the fridge and unwrap it.

Cumin is a favourite in curries, but it also works incredibly well with pork. It is a go-to savoury spice for a reason: its distinct, earthy flavour. You wouldn't necessarily just season pork with cumin, but mixing it with other seasonings like ginger and lime can enhance the flavour significantly.

Consider Brining

While a simple brine of water and salt will do the trick, you can also use the brining stage to impart extra flavor with sugar and seasonings. Just be careful not to brine too long (two to four hours should do the trick) and rinse the pork before cooking.

This can be olive oil, yellow mustard, or a spray oil like duck fat. For pork butt I usually go with mustard. It doesn't add any flavor to the finished product, but I like the way it holds the rub and the color it gives to the exterior early in the cook.

Before cooking, use your fingers to wipe off excess dry rub and remember not to add any additional salt, either directly or in salty additions such as soy sauce or canned broth, unless it's labeled low sodium. After the meat has finished cooking, let it rest.

Should you oil meat before dry rub? ›

A dry rub can be rubbed directly into the meat and massaged until it sticks to the surface. We recommend patting your cut of meat dry using paper towels. From there, you can season directly onto the meat or apply a small amount of oil over the surface before coating generously in the dry rub.

Seasoning pork

You can use a mix of regular table salt (which will penetrate the skin) and salt flakes (for a crisp crust). You can use oil to help the salt stick to the meat but if you really rub the salt in, you don't need the extra fat.

Sugar is a common but optional addition, particularly if you want to cut the salt flavor. Be careful not to add too much sugar (no more than 20% of the total rub mix), or it will caramelize when cooking.

Most dry rub recipes include salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, and a mixture of other aromatics and spices such as garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, or cumin. Some rub recipes utilize different ingredients like ground coffee, mustard, cayenne, or cinnamon.

Brown sugar, white sugar, and honey are all common sweeteners in the pitmaster's arsenal. They're great in a pork rub or on chicken to accelerate the browning of the skin.

Meats benefit from even a half-hour of being dry rubbed prior to cooking. Generally, six or more hours is preferable. A dry brine is a dry rub (salt, spices, and herbs) with sugar added. It is meant to be left on the meat for at least a day, and up to three days, and then wiped or rinsed off prior to cooking.

You can apply a rub right before you cook or a few hours ahead of time for basic grilling or up to 24 hours ahead if you're hot-smoking.

Dry the skin and rub salt into the skin and fat. Place in a dish and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight or for 4 – 5 hours. This allows the skin to dry out.

FAQ. How long should dry rub be on ribs before cooking? Anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours. You'll want the dry rub to sit on the ribs for at least 15 minutes to tenderize the meat and draw out the moisture, but you can refrigerate the ribs coated in the dry rub for up to 48 hours.