Before grilling or cooking, give meat and poultry a slow soak in a marinade or generously rub on a spice mix. that extra boost of savory flavor makes all the difference.
marinades
Combine the marinade ingredients in a resealable plastic bag; add meat or poultry. Seal bag and turn to coat. Set bag in a shallow dish. Marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain and discard marinade. Cook as desired.
sweet chili marinade
• ⅓ cup Asian sweet chili sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
tex-mex marinade
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1½ tsp. crushed dried oregano
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. salt
jerk marinade
• ¼ cup pineapple juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• ¼ tsp. salt
• Dash crushed red pepper (optional)
curried yogurt marinade
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
• 4 tsp. curry powder
• ½ tsp. salt
moroccan marinade
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp. ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper
asian marinade
• ½ cup beef broth
• ⅓ cup hoisin sauce
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup sliced green onion
• 3 Tbsp. apple or orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
rubs
Mix ingredients, then sprinkle over meat, poultry, and fish. Massage rub into meat. Let stand 15 minutes before cooking. (Cooking charts.)
1
cajun rub
• 1 Tbsp. white pepper
• 1 Tbsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp. crushed dried thyme
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
2
mustard-peppercorn rub
• 2 Tbsp. coarse-ground brown mustard
• 1 Tbsp. cracked black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. coarse salt
3
chili rub
• 2 Tbsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
4
jamaican jerk rub
• 1 Tbsp. onion powder
• 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. crushed dried thyme
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 1½ tsp. ground allspice
• 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
5
fresh herb rub
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
6
BBQ rub
• ¼ cup barbecue seasoning
• 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. onion salt
• 1 tsp. ground celery seeds
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
wet rubs
Wet rubs contain melted butter or oil (or other liquids). The moisture helps the rub adhere to the meat and keeps the meat moist. Turn a dry rub into a wet rub by stirring in 2 to 3 Tbsp. melted butter or oil. Rub or brush on meat, poultry, and fish before cooking.