The rub is instrumental in browning the outer skin of the meat while it is being cooked or baking as well as the inside portion of the meat. Some of the things used when making the dry rub are salt, black or white pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, cumin and chili powder. The greatest concern is to make sure that none of the spices dominants the other’s in the preparation of final dry rub. For instance you get smoky slightly sweet character from the paprika, heat from chili powder among others.
Meats take time most especially because you need to check that the dry rub has been absorbed into the meat properly. Usually the marinade takes as much as a couple of hours to take effect on the outer layers of the meat but enhanced taste, should need an overnight rubbing. It also adds smokiness to the meat, more bark if the meat is smoked to make it tastier in as much as possible during the chewing movement.
Marinades: Infusing Moisture and Flavor
The other common technique used in barbecue is by seasoning. The other widespread technique is marinating. Compared to dry condition marinades are wet usually but some of these may include wine, citrus juice or vinegar which make the muscles of the meat relaxed so that it can absorb the flavor. Marinades are most useful when dealing with meat which isn’t extremely compact in texture, such as chicken or fish since the liquid in the marinade does not toughen the meat.
For any specific usage of marinade there is always oil to prevent the formation of first layer of fat plus other spices or herbs. For instance, one of the simplest is cooking with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme or rosemary.
Sauces: Adding the Final Touch
Also applied earlier, barbecue sauces, are normally applied towards the later phase of grilling to give the meat the desired stickiness. In contrast, dry rubs and flavorings are for taste and texture, while the sauces may be bit tangy or sweet, they help to balance out the smokiness on the meat. First will be the Tangy Vinegar based Sauces of North Carolina; the second is the Kansas city sweet BBQ Sauce; third is the mustard based sauces of South Caroline.
Saucing must also be done cautiously: also an excess of a sauce tends to mask the flavor of the smoke, while a lack of it produces no flavor. If Caramelising is used in the last steps of the cooking process, then the sauce coats the surface of the meat and is that much tender.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BARBECUE BATTLE
The Barbecue Battle: Where Smoke Meets Spice is a bright colorful event that is expected to showcase only the best of the barbecue for the smoked brilliance of the meat and a spicy blend of the culinary experience. This event is not only for professional cooks and BBQ specialists but for future pitmasters; chefs in other forms or in other industries; and of course, for any appreciator of what barbecue means. From cook offs and other forms of cooking competitions to fun filled informative lessons to be done by all. Here are some of the key highlights that make this barbecue battle unforgettable
