The following is meant to be a general introduction to the different ways of preparing and finishing your food for grilling. While there is a lot more behind it, I’m going to put it in the most simplified way that I can. Once you’re mastered the basics, search on these topics to find full in-depth info on them.
So…
Marinades, Rubs, Basting, and Sauces…what’s the difference???
In short - in this order:
- Marinades help flavor the meat and tenderize it (before cooking)
- Rubs add the seasoning (before cooking)
- Basting keeps it moist while grilling (while cooking)
- and the Sauce finishes it when it’s done
Marinades
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Marinades, well, allow you to marinade your food before cooking to infuse flavor into the meat as well as tenderize it before cooking. Not all foods need to Marinade…and I hardly ever do it unless needed like dry or lean meats like chicken breasts (NOTE: I would never marinate my beef tenderloin as it’s already tender!) For example, marinade your chicken breasts in Italian dressing or our Vinegar Sauce for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Marinades typically contain spices (garlic, basil, etc), an oil (like vegetable oil), and an acid (like vinegar). The spices add flavor, the acid breaks down the meat to make it tenderer, and the oil helps keep it moist while cooking.
NOTE: Do not use aluminum or cast-iron pots as they will react with the acidity of the marinade.
Rubs
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Rubs season and add the main flavor to the meat. In its simplest form, think of cooking hamburgers. You usually add salt and pepper to season them. For this example, the salt and pepper could be considered a dry rub…you are flavoring the meat and makes it taste good.
But good Rubs can add so much more flavor. They usually contain the salt, pepper, and many other great spices. They also usually contain a sugar which helps form a flavorful crust on the outside when cooked to help seal in the flavor (like our Dry Rub Seasoning).
Rubs are usually applied a couple hours in advance of cooking to give it maximum flavor.
Bastes
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If you’re grilling lean or dry cuts of meat (like chicken breasts), basting them with a sauce will help keep them tender and help keep them from drying out. Again, a good baste could be an Italian dressing or our Spicy Vinegar Sauce. I baste chicken breasts about every 15 minutes when grilling.
Sauces
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When to apply the Sauce? Well, that depends on what kind of Sauce you’re applying. If you’re using a vinegar-based sauce (like our Spicy Vinegar Sauce), you can apply it during the entire cooking process.
But if you’re using a sweet tomato based sauce (like most sauces sold in stores, including our Traditional Red Sauce), you only apply it when your food in done. Most of the tomato-based sauces are sweet. If applied to early, the sauce will burn and you’ll have charcoal to serve to your invitees.
So, when your food is fully cooked, apply the sauce, let it cook a couple minutes, turn and add more sauce. Do this a couple more times so the sauce will get a chance to caramelize and give it that great sweet flavor! You won’t be disappointed!
So you’ve passed the first test! On to the second. If anyone has any further comments or suggestions, please post them here (note – you have to be logged in to post). Thanks!
- Donald