Fact: Dry Rubs Are Better Than Marinades (2024)

FAQs

Fact: Dry Rubs Are Better Than Marinades? ›

Furthermore, if you rub a right quantity, you might get a protection crust, keeping all the juices inside. And depending on the rub's ingredients, the meat will come to caramelize easier. Though, unlike the liquid marinade, dry rub doesn't tenderize meat. It only adds flavours on the surface.

Similar to marinades, rubs season the surface of the food, but won't penetrate all the way through. Unlike marinades, however, rubs don't require an extended period of resting time to pick up the flavor. Once the rub is on, you're all set to grill. Rubs make it easier to achieve a nice sear because of their dry nature.

A dry rub is a blend of spices and seasonings that flavor meat without calories. It works its magic by creating a flavorful crust on meat rather than smothering it with gooey, fatty, overpowering liquid such as BBQ sauce.

While a dry rub adds flavour and crust to your protein, a marinade adds taste and tenderness to the meat. This happens because of the liquid's ability to move within the cell walls of the protein and break them down while delivering taste to the meat.

According to grilling experts Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby in their book, "The Big-Flavor Grill: No-Marinade, No-Hassle Recipes", dry rubs actually add more flavor as well because they cling to the surface better. Marinades and sauces have more of a tendency to drip onto heating elements and cause flare-ups.

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.

Furthermore, if you rub a right quantity, you might get a protection crust, keeping all the juices inside. And depending on the rub's ingredients, the meat will come to caramelize easier. Though, unlike the liquid marinade, dry rub doesn't tenderize meat. It only adds flavours on the surface.

Marinades and dry rubs both add tons of flavor and dimension to your recipes, but they work in totally different ways. While marinades are great for tenderizing the meat by breaking down muscle fibers and adding moisture, the flavor of a marinade is usually the focal point of the recipe.

Almost all bottled commercial rubs have salt. This is pretty much a standard. As we have discussed elsewhere, salt is important because it penetrates deep, because it amplifies flavor, and because it helps meat retain moisture. But as I explain below, if you make rubs at home, you shuld leave out the salt.

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.

Why do you soak pork chops in vinegar? ›

Vinegar and citrus tenderize the pork, and the spices and dried herbs add loads of flavor. Marta has 25 years of experience in the food service industry and has been developing recipes for 3 years. She is the author of Taste & See Cooks: Recipes to Inspire, Equip and Enjoy. Why Brine Pork Chops?

Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

Marinate for at least two hours.

Unlike more delicate proteins like fish and shrimp, pork chops can handle a longer marinating time without adversely affecting their texture. Just thirty minutes will add flavor, but for best results, marinate pork chops for at least two hours or up to overnight.

Let rub sit on the chicken for up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat a grill to medium heat. Place dark meat on the grill first because it has a longer cooking time than white meat.

Remember that you don't have to wait for the spices to seep into the meat. That said, we suggest trimming and rubbing your meat, wrapping in plastic, and marinating in the fridge for up to 24 hours. It simply produces better flavors and great results.

RUBS FOR STEAKS

That's it. We like marinades a lot for steaks, but when we're forced to pick between a marinade and a rub, we usually go with a rub. One of the main reasons we like rubs is because they create a savory crust on the meat, which marinades don't do. Plus, rubs help seal in the meat's juiciness.

You can leave rub on a steak for as little as 30-40 minutes or as long as overnight. Leaving it on overnight will really allow those flavors to soak into the steak. If you are leaving it on overnight simply place the steak in a airtight container and leave in the fridge overnight.

Salt and pepper are seasoning, not rub, and perfect for something simple. Dry rubs are ideal if you need a sear but works just as well when you smoke or slow cook. And finally, wet rubs are perfect if you are going the slow route for cooking.