Dry rub or marinade?

If you are looking to enhance the flavor of your meat to grill on the barbecue, dry rubs (colloquially called dry rubs) as well as marinades are ideal. Both being equally tasty and simple to make, how do you know which one to recommend? Here is a little guide to enlighten you so that you can be elected grill master this summer!

DRY MARINADE (DRY RUB)

A dry marinade is a mixture of dried herbs, spices and aromatics that is used to generously rub the meat before grilling it to form a sort of crust that will add lots of flavor. The possible combinations of ingredients are limitless, just let your imagination run wild according to 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, allowing it to soak into the flesh for 30 to 60 minutes will amplify the flavor.

Although a dry rub can be used on almost any type of meat, it works best on cuts that are naturally juicy and don't need to be tenderized.

LIQUID MARINADE

It's practically the liquid equivalent of dry rub: letting the meat sit in a liquid marinade for a while before grilling not only helps flavor it, but it also helps with soften. So if you have a piece that is rather fibrous, we recommend favoring this option.

To make a successful marinade, you must combine three essential elements:

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

In terms of duration, simply marinate in an airtight container in the refrigerator long enough to give flavor: for red meat (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 in leaving it longer. Be careful, however, if it is a marinade with very present acidity: the high dose of acid could give a sour taste to the meat in addition to making it firmer.