We tested Gregg Roszkowski’s rub on pork ribs, and it added a nicely balanced flavor. Not too salty, not too sweet, with a hint of spice that didn’t overwhelm the meat.

Gregg said he had tried different rub recipes he’d found online and in magazines and nothing was quite what he wanted. He found a version that was close, but it had too much cumin and chili powder for his taste. So he decreased the amounts of those spices and added some cayenne pepper and creole spice mix to liven things up a bit.

“I haven’t ruined a piece of meat in a long time, now that I have this rub,” he joked.

Gregg also offered a tip for preparing meat for barbecuing without a lot of mess: Inject marinade right into the heavy plastic bag in which big cuts are packaged in the grocery store. Tape over the hole and store for a few hours in the refrigerator, rotating it occasionally for even coverage. Drain the marinade and pat the meat dry before applying the rub.

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup garlic powder
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup paprika
2 tablespoons dried onion, minced or crushed
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Rub generous handful on both sides of meat. Best on ribs or pork butt; will work fine on any barbecue. Makes enough rub for several applications.

Serving size: 1 tablespoon (approximate). Per serving: 32 calories, .5 g protein, .2 g fat, 7.5 g carbohydrates, .5 g fiber, 1,138 mg sodium

Gregg Roszkowski, Pedernales Electric Cooperative