If you like the idea of memorable flavors … flavors with musical reverb, resonance and improved texture, let me suggest that spice rubs should be in your repertoire.
I think most people associate spice rubs with grilling and barbecue. And that is a great place to focus on because they are superb with fire. One of the great masters of this subject is a man known as Meathead Goldwyn. He has a website I recommend for anyone who really wants to get into this genre of cooking. He has some controversial stands. The brilliant scientist and chef J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt wrote the intro to Meathead’s book, “The Science of Great Barbecuing and Grilling”. Mr. Goldwyn challenges certain myths with glee. One myth he takes on is the one that posits that massaging meat with rubs makes the juices run out. He writes, “Busted! There is a reason they are called cuts of meat. Meat is a muscle that has been cut to remove it from the bones, fat and other muscles. It contains gazillions of muscle fibers that have been sliced open. The surface is full of microscopic ridges, valleys, pockmarks, and pores. Massaging in a rub won’t hurt the meat one bit .. the meat will not lose any more juice than if you were to just sprinkle it on. In fact, rubbing rub helps get it into the meat”.
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Now it’s time to hit the ‘Listen on WLRN’ button at the top to hear the remainder of my show. ‘A Word On Food’ airs on WLRN every Saturday around 8:30 a.m. at 91.3 and also 91.5 on the radio. I want to thank so many of you who tell me in person how much you are enjoying the show!