I created a spice rub for ribs way back in the spring when I got brave and decided to tackle that venerable barbecue staple (read about them here). They turned out! I’ve made them several more times and always have a little of the rub left over. I’ve started using it on other dishes, and wow, it is very versatile! A couple of nights ago, it made grilled ahi tuna steaks roar with flavor, and last night, it dressed up simple baked acorn squash. This was an epic accomplishment, because the Grill-Meister, who is not a fan of squash, had two portions!
I’m going to start making up batches of this all-purpose rub for holiday gifts – it’s that good! Spicy from the ground ancho chili peppers and the one-two punch of black and white pepper, slightly sweet from the brown sugar, southwest-tasting from the cumin and rounded out by the touch of nutmeg and coarse sea salt, this rub is a winner! Here are some other uses for Glover Gardens Everything Rub (or any good meat rub that you really love):
- Mix with a little olive oil, then toss with vegetables before grilling them (think thick slices of onion, rings of bell pepper, portobello mushrooms, corn on the cob – yum!)
- Toss with Brussels sprouts and olive oil, then roast them in the oven
- Dust onto thick rings of pineapple, then grill or broil them
- Season chicken wings
- Mix with sour cream or cream cheese for a quick dip or spread
- Spice up pimento cheese
- Mix with olive oil and walnuts or pecans, then toast them
- Sprinkle on bacon as it’s cooking to kick it up a notch
- Mix with ground beef, eggs and some diced onions for a quick meatloaf
- Toss with olive oil, chopped red onion and halved cherry tomatoes for a quick salad, or mix with oil and cider vinegar for a salad dressing
- Mix with a stick of softened butter and then chill in a pretty dish for a spicy seasoned butter you can serve with bread or rolls
- Use as a seasoning for eggplant, as my blogger friend the Pleasant Peasant did
- And of course, as a dry rub on steaks, pork tenderloin or chops, chicken breasts, or even turkey
Glover Gardens Everything Rub
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp coarse salt
- 2 tbsp ancho or chipotle chilé powder (use paprika if you don’t like it spicy)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
In a small mixing bowl, combine the spice rub ingredients.
Store in an airtight container for up to six months (although it won’t last that long!)
If you make a batch, let me know what you do with it!
Copyright 2017, Glover Gardens Cookbook
Those are great ways to use your spice rub. The acorn squash looks really good, and yes, corn on the cob would be fabulous!
This sounds yummy! We love recipes without “fillers.”
Me, too! And somehow, a spice mix you make yourself seems so much more authentic, doesn’t it?
Now that we’ve had the great Glover Gardens 2.0 Kitchen Remodel, I cringe a little when I see recipes that were photographed on the old pink tile. But we ate well in that old kitchen, even though it was cramped and pepto-bismol-colored.