• ½ cup salt
• ½ cup sugar in the raw (turbinado sugar)
• ¼ cup granulated brown sugar
• 1 Tbs. granulated garlic
• 1 Tbs. granulated onion
• 2 Tbs. paprika
• 2 Tbs.chili powder
• 2 Tbs. black pepper
• 2 tsp. cayenne
• 1 Tbs. thyme leaves
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients, mix well, and store in an airtight container. Yields one and a half cups.
“With a good rub, you don’t even need BBQ sauce. Sauce covers up the taste of meat; a good dry rub enhances it. The instructions here are for a basic rub; put it on pork, chicken, or beef. Use a lot—if you watch the pros, they really go to town. And once you take the spices to the meat, let it sit. You gotta let ’em get to know each other.”
Ray Lampe, a.k.a. Dr. BBQ, is the executive chef at Southern Hospitality, N.Y.C.