Maple Sugar Dry Rub & Rib Glaze

Maple Sugar Dry Rub & Rib Glaze

Sadly, I haven't been able to work on many recipes for the past few months. Our beloved smoker decided to call it quits the day I was hosting a huge BBQ party for St. Patrick's Day.  The good news is that we finally rebuilt the smoker and it is up and running once again!

I decided that the first smoke of the season would be my ode to the North. I live in Eastern Pennsylvania, and wanted to smoke a rib that had northern influences. Honestly, I had no idea what I wanted to do and saw maple sugar in my pantry..and thought to myself, "Hey, this will work!"  So, here it is... my newest and favorite dry rub.

I used the 3-2-1 method to smoke ribs, and they turned out perfectly. The smoke penetrated the meat very well (as you can see in the smoke ring), and the ribs turned out moist and sweet. These could be my new favorite, and I'm even considering competing with this recipe!

Maple Sugar Dry Rub (perfect for 2.5 lbs. of Pork Ribs)

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. Maple Sugar Powder

2 tsp. Ground Ginger Powder

2 tsp. Powdered Chicken Base Seasoning

2 tsp. Dried Minced Onion

1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Maple Sugar Rib Glaze

Ingredients:

3/4 c. Maple Syrup
2 tbsp. Packed Brown Sugar
2 tbsp. Yellow Mustard
1 tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Sea Salt
1.5 tbsp. Salted Butter
1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Add all ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, so sugar doesn't burn.

Coffee Dry Rub for Beef

Coffee Rub

I use this rub on anything from steaks to beef brisket. I like the semi-sweet flavor the vanilla coffee adds to the rub. It makes this rub stand out from a typical rub used on beef. Right before I apply the rub to beef I will lightly baste the meat with a dijon mustard-vanilla extract mix, and then pat the dry rub on top of the mustard. Enjoy!

Ingredients
¼ c. Vanilla-flavored Coffee (ground coffee, not brewed)

¼ c. Light Brown Sugar

1 tbsp. Onion Powder

1 tbsp. Garlic Powder

1 tbsp. Sea Salt

1 tbsp. Hungarian Paprika

2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Middle Eastern-Inspired Chicken Rub

This is a rub I love for the aggressive spice flavors. I use this rub strictly on chicken.

Middle Eastern-Inspired Chicken Rub

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Turmeric

2 tbsp. Cumin

2 tbsp. Dried Coriander

2 tbsp. Cinnamon

2 tsp. Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 tbsp. Sea Salt

1-2 tbsp. strong flavored mustard (I either use a yellow mustard or Irish mustard)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and place on chicken. Marinate in a tight container for a minimum of 8 hours in the refrigerator. Use any extra rub with melted butter or olive oil and baste chicken while it is in the smoker. Discard any leftover rub after use. Safety warning: do not dip a hand that has already touched raw meat back into container. It will contaminate the rub. Always season with one hand, and keep another hand dry and untainted.

Chicken or Pork Dry Rub

I use this chicken dry rub on wings, thighs, drumsticks, and even pork shoulder. I like the unique flavor of this rub because it contains cocoa. The cocoa adds a deep flavor to the chicken or pork.

Chicken or Pork Dry Rub:

Ingredients:

1/8 c. Cocoa Powder

1 tbsp. Sea Salt

1 tbsp. Black Pepper

3 tbsp. Garlic Powder

3 tbsp. Onion Powder

1 tsp. Chili Powder

2 tsp. Seasoned Salt

2 tsp. Celery Salt

1 tbsp. Paprika

Directions:
Mix ingredients together. Sprinkle the rub generously on your meat. Let the flavors absorb the meat for a minimum of 30 min. prior to smoking. I typically season the meat with the dry rub and let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 8-12 hrs. Store the remaining dry rub in a tight container and store in a cool place. Safety warning: do not dip a hand that has already touched raw meat back into container. It will contaminate the rub. Always season with one hand, and keep another hand dry and untainted.

Chicken Wing Dry Rub

Smoked Wings

Smofried Wings (smoked, then deep fried)

Chicken Wing Dry Rub:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Onion Powder

2 tbsp. Garlic Powder

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 tbsp. Paprika

2 tbsp. Taco Seasoning

2 tbsp. Cajun Seasoning

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Use 1/2 of mixture on wings, and place in an airtight container. Place in refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hrs. (preferably longer..I like marinating meat for a minimum of 8 hrs.). Before you place on smoker, leave wings out for about 15 min. prior to smoking and sprinkle more of the dry rub on. I even like to mix some dry rub in with chicken broth, beer, or butter and mop the wings while in the smoker. Safety warning: do not dip a hand that has already touched raw meat back into container. It will contaminate the rub. Always season with one hand, and keep another hand dry and untainted. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Dry Rub

This is my new go-to pulled pork dry rub. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Pulled Pork Dry Rub:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Black Pepper

2 tbsp. Paprika (I use Hungarian Paprika..because I'm part Hungarian and enjoy the flavor)

1 tbsp. Curry Powder

2 tbsp.Sea Salt

2 tbsp.Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together well. Use about half of your mixture to rub onto the pork. Wrap the pork tightly in a container and place in your refrigerator overnight (I let mine marinade for a minimum of 10-12 hours).

When you are ready to smoke the pork, remove the pork from the refrigerator 45 minutes prior to smoking. Add the remaining dry rub to the pork and let it rest until it is ready for the smoker. Enjoy!