Balance is the key to perfection when cooking, but can you use too much dry rub? Is there a way to save meat after using too much?
Can You Use Too Much Dry Rub?
It is possible to use too much dry rub, as unbelievable as it may sound. Too many spices can easily overpower the taste of meat. Fortunately, there are ways to salvage the meat if dry-rubbed too liberally. Using the right amount of dry rub will balance the spice and meat, adding moisture and flavor to every morsel.
Using a dry rub and mixing it to perfection may take time. Experimenting with different flavor combinations, ways to apply the dry rub, and the quantity needed on various pieces of meat are all part of the journey.
How Do You Know You Used Too Much Dry Rub?
Even after mixing and tasting different dry rub spices, finding the right
combination and balance of spices may still be a bit of a guessing game. One thing is for sure; you will quickly realize when you used too much dry rub.
Following are tell-tale signs of using too much dry rub.
- Avoid plastering dry rub onto the meat; sprinkle to cover the surface and then rub all over while massaging the flesh. If a thick crust forms when you apply it to the meat, you use too much dry rub.
- Binders, like mustard, help the dry rub stick to the surface of the meat and, when used correctly, may do just that. The problem arises with using too much binder. The dry rub and binder form clumps that stick to the meat.
- Dry rub on its own and dry rub that endured the cooking process taste significantly different. Therefore, if the dry rub overpowers the taste of the meat after cooking, you have used too much dry rub.
- Tenderizing agents in dry rub cause meat to turn mushy if you use too much or leave it on the meat for too long. Mushy meat indicates the overuse of dry rub.
What To Do If You Used Too Much Dry Rub
Suppose you used a heavy hand while applying a dry rub to your meat. Things turned south on the tasting front after cooking; you may wonder if there is something you can do to alter the taste and save the dish.
Things tend to go wrong when preparing food, and the most common mistakes are over-salting, using too many chilies or strong spices, and, yes, using too much dry rub.
Fortunately, there are ways of salvaging meats after using too much dry rub, over-salting, and intense flavors.
It is easier to rectify using too much dry rub before cooking than after.
- Use a knife, your fingers, or the side of a fork to scrape excess dry rub off the meat.
- Remove as much of the dry rub before cooking the meat by quickly soaking it in a water bath. Then, pat dry, measure your dry rub carefully, and rub again.
- Remove excess dry rub by lightly wiping the meat with a kitchen cloth until satisfied that the right amount of spice remains.
- Spices dissolve in olive oil and milk. Soaking the raw meat in these liquids will dissolve the extra spices, making the meat less spicy.
- After cooking, if the meat is too dry, serve it with a sauce or gravy. A good sauce or gravy can mask an array of flavors, making the meat more palatable.
Biggest Culprits For Over Seasoning?
Salt and chilies are usually the culprits when over-spicing. Too much salt, vinegar, garlic, or pepper in a dry rub may overpower the taste of the meat and ruin the experience.
Following are tips to counter the effects of using too much dry rub. These tips apply to cooked meats.
- The combination of spices used in dry rubs may suggest you use too much if the cooked meat is too spicy or salty. If grilled meat turns out too salty, save it by rinsing it with warm water and return to the heat for a quick re-heat and then let it rest before serving.
- Serving a lovely blue cheese dressing may help cut through the spiciness of the cooked meat.
- Sweet sauces served alongside overly spiced meat will cut through the extra spiciness. Greek yogurt is an excellent cooling substitute if sweet sauces are not to your liking.
- Excess rub dilutes when placing the meat in a pot of boiling water for ten minutes. Then place in a hot oven for another ten minutes to get rid of the extra moisture and enjoy.
- Serve sour cream on a baked potato as a side dish. Both the cooling of the sour cream and the starchiness of the potato will cool down overpowering flavors.
- Sweet, pickled vegetables, creamy coleslaw, or starchy sides such as sweet potato, rice, or cornbread are excellent in cutting through over-spiced food.
- Consider repurposing the meat into a different dish, soup, for instance. All the additional ingredients added to the soup may help absorb the excess spices making the meal more enjoyable and counter any wastage.
Exciting Tips And Facts Around Dry Rub Ingredients
Keep the following tips and facts about dry rubs in mind next time you prepare your red meat, fish, or poultry.
- Keep olive oil and milk at hand. The substance in chilies that causes all the heat is capsicum. Milk contains casein that binds with the capsicum oil. In other words, milk will wash away the burn of chilies.
- The rule of thumb when using a dry rub is around one tablespoon of rub for every pound of meat.
- Be careful when adding salt to the dry rub. Dry rub tastes different after cooking than before after. Always do a taste test before adding more spices to avoid ruining the meat’s natural flavors.
- Practice will lead to the perfect balance between the meat and the dry rub.
Final Word
The art of cooking with dry rub needs regular practice to produce excellent products but expect mishaps. Enjoy the process. The right amount of dry rub to use is for you to choose
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