I discover that a rib rub actually makes an excellent everyday seasoning.
A few weeks ago, I watched a cooking video titled “Salt & Pepper Spare Ribs” by Allrecipes.com‘s Chef John. Although Chef John’s sing-songy narration drives me bonkers, he shares a lot of good recipes and this was definitely one of them. (You can find the recipe without listening to his voice here.) I made the ribs, using baby backs because St. Louis (which I prefer) weren’t available, and they were great.
I did find myself with some extra rub after preparing the ribs. (Baby backs are smaller than St. Louis.) I put it in a jar in my pantry. This morning, on a whim, I sprinkled some on my breakfast scramble. Today, that included bacon; onions, yellow squash, and potatoes from my garden; spinach; and tomatoes with an egg on top. The small amount of “rib rub” I put on my breakfast really made the flavor explode. I regret not putting more on. (Tomorrow is another day.)
The blend is easy. Just mix these five ingredients together:
Just five ingredients. Can’t get any easier than that!4 teaspoons kosher salt. I actually used regular iodized salt, which is I had in my pantry and wanted to use up.
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper. Sadly my pepper mill doesn’t properly grind pepper — it cracks it. Not what I wanted in this recipe so I used pre-ground pepper. (Do not use flake pepper. Ever. If you have any, throw it away. It’s garbage.)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper. I wouldn’t even know where to buy white peppercorns in the rural area where I live. I consider myself lucky to find ground white pepper so that’s what I used.
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. I’ll admit I used a little less than this because I don’t like super spicy food. The ribs were definitely spicy enough for me.
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Honestly, I think this is what made it so good on my breakfast.
Put it in a jar that you can seal tightly. I try to save spice jars with sprinkle tops just for this purpose. Then use it on anything you would normally sprinkle with salt and pepper. You won’t be disappointed.
That rib recipe won’t disappoint you, either. It’s especially good if you don’t have a smoker or just want something different. It can’t be any easier to make.
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Okay – 1st of all, Baby Backs are superior to St. Louis ribs. There, I said it. I mean it. (However, as always, you do you!!) 2nd of all, how can you live with yourself without an operating pepper mill? I’d just have to kill myself in a simmering vat of Tabasco. Lastly, discover this place on line. Fabulous spices, very reasonably priced, delivered right to your door. http://www.penzeys.com. They also have a political conscience that we love. Peace. Out.
I think St. Louis are juicier. That’s because they’re fattier, but slow cooking gets most of the gross fat out.
I do have an operating pepper mill. It’s electric (long story) and apparently not adjustable. I should use my old one; it worked pretty well, although it’s a PitA to grind a teaspoon.
I don’t use Tabasco.
I know Penzey’s. A good friend of mine bought me some Penzey’s spices a while back. A bit pricey, I think! I do okay with supermarket stuff. I use so much of certain spices for rubs and other recipes that I’d go broke buying at Penzey’s. I buy a lot of stuff in bulk at the local restaurant supply place.
Thanks for all the advice. One of these days, I’ll do a rack of baby backs and a rack of St. Louis at the same time — starting St. Louis about an hour earlier, of course — and let my guests decide which is better.
Hi Maria,
Yes Penzeys are a little spendy. I found some spices on the way to Leavenworth at a fruit market. I’m not meaning anything bad, but it’s actually pretty go stuff, the name is called “Special Sh*t”, I’m not kidding. You can buy it for all kinds of meats, the spices are some what similar. They also make chip dip mixes too. I enjoy your videos because I was born in Yakima and wondered what was beyond the mountain range. Keep up the great videos!
I actually make a lot of my own spice blends based on recipes I find in cookbooks and on the Internet — like the one in this post. While some pre-made spice blends are pretty good, a lot of them include ingredients I prefer not to have in my food. Plus,there’s the added benefit of being able to customize it for your own taste — like putting in less cayenne to make it less spicy (or more for more).
Glad you like the videos. I hope to keep making them for a long time to come.