Dry rub or marinade?

If you're looking to enhance the flavor of your grilled meat on the barbecue, dry marinades (commonly referred to as dry rubs) as well as marinades are just the thing. Both being equally tasty and simple to make, how do you know which one to recommend? Here’s a little guide to enlighten you so you can be crowned grill master this summer!

DRY RUB

A dry rub is a mixture of dried herbs, spices, and seasonings that is used to generously coat the meat before grilling to form a sort of crust that will bring a lot of flavor. The possible combinations of ingredients are limitless; just let your imagination run wild based on your preferences.

These easy-to-make blends at home enhance the flavor of meat in just a few minutes. For this reason, it can go on the grill shortly after being generously coated with the dry rub. However, letting it soak into the meat for 30 to 60 minutes will amplify the flavor.

Although a dry rub can be used on almost all types of meat, it yields more interesting results on cuts that are naturally juicy and do not need to be tenderized.

LIQUID MARINADE

It is practically the liquid equivalent of a dry rub: letting the meat sit in a liquid marinade for a while before grilling allows it to be flavored, but it also helps to tenderize it. So if you have a cut that is rather fibrous, we recommend opting for this option.

To succeed in a marinade, you need to combine three essential elements:

1. AN ACID LIQUID
   The touching element of a marinade is its acidic ingredient. For example, use lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, apple cider, wine, etc., mustard, or even plain yogurt.
2. A FAT BODY
   'The addition of this element to a marinade facilitates the transfer of flavors to the meat, as several aromatic molecules are soluble in a fatty body. For example, add olive oil, vegetable oil, nut oil, sesame oil, etc., coconut milk, or butter.'
3. AROMATIC ELEMENTS
   Integrate fresh herbs, garlic, soy sauce, fresh ginger, honey, maple syrup, and much more. To maximize the flavor, it is best to crush or finely chop the solid ingredients.

In terms of duration, it is enough to marinate in an airtight container in the refrigerator long enough to impart flavor: for red meats (beef, lamb, game, etc.), it is recommended to leave them for 3 to 24 hours, while for tender meats (chicken, pork, veal, etc.), it varies from 2 to 8 hours.

For this second category, if the marinade used is mainly composed of oil and herbs, there is no problem leaving it for a longer time. However, be careful if it is a marinade with a very high acidity: the strong dose of acid could give a sour taste to the meat in addition to making it firmer.