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Big Bad Beef Rub Recipe

BBQ rub in a bowl
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This is the perfect beef dry rub recipe, creating a rich, flavorful, crunchy crust, called the bark or Mrs. Brown on brisket, beef ribs, steak, and more.
Serve with: beef and your favorite local beer.
Course:
Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine:
American

Makes:

About 1/2 cup/75.7 grams
Servings: 96 1/4-teaspoon servings

Takes:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons American chili or ancho powder
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle or cayenne powder
Notes:
About the black pepper. Lately I've been grinding my black pepper and then sifting it. I use the coarse stuff, and put the fine stuff in a pepper shaker.
About the chile powders. I'm looking for complexity with two different flavors and two different levels of heat. Most American chili powders and ancho powders do not have a lot of heat, but good flavor. In fact, ancho is usually in a lot of American chili powders. Go with ancho if you can find it. It has a nice raisiny character. With chipotle or cayenne I'm after a kiss of heat. Chipotle has better flavor though.
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.
Metric conversion:

These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page

Method

  • Prep. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.
  • If your meat has not been pre-salted, shoot for about 1/2 teaspoon of Morton Coarse Kosher Salt per pound (453.6 grams) of meat and apply it heavier on thick spots. When possible, apply the salt the day before, but even an hour or two is enough to get it moving inward, and the AmazingRibs.com science advisor Prof. Greg Blonder has shown that when the meat heats, the salt moves deeper and faster. Click here to read more about this process, called dry-brining.
  • Using the rub. Use this rub on burgers, beef ribs, or on brisket like in this video.
  • Storing the rub. If you are not using it immediately, store the rub in a tightly sealed bottle in a dark place. It will slowly start to decline in quality but should be fine up to a year later. Taste it first.

Nutrition per Serving

Calories: 2kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg