While the meat used to be marinated to make it more durable, today it is mainly rubbed with spices to make it tender and tastier. The so-called BBQ rub (“to rub” means “to rub in”) is particularly suitable for popular grilled food such as steaks or ribs: This is a dry spice mixture that, in combination with olive oil or mustard, creates a strong, slightly spicy aroma should take care of. The mix is suitable for any type of grilled food and is very easy to make. You can read about the ingredients required for this in this recipe.
To prepare the meat marinade you will need these spices:
Alternatively, you can of course also use ready-made BBQ rub (e.g. from Spicebar), which already contains all the spices mentioned. In the larger version, the spices are sufficient for 230 grams of meat marinade – i.e. at least four to six kilos of grilled food.
You should put the coarse spices such as salt and mustard, the peppercorns and the cane sugar in a mortar and grind them finely. Then they are mixed with the rest of the ingredients. As the name suggests, the marinade must then be spread over the meat. To ensure that it sticks better, you should rub a few drops of olive oil or mustard on the food to be grilled beforehand.
Tip: On average, you need one to two tablespoons per 250 grams of meat.
Regardless of whether you make your own marinade or use a ready-made spice mixture: the method of preparation is always the same. The time factor plays a particularly important role here. The longer the spices soak into the grilled food, the more intense the taste of the result. For this reason, it’s a good idea to marinate the meat a few hours before cooking – it’s even better if the marinade is left to soak overnight.
If you would like to additionally prepare the food to be grilled so that the spices can soak in faster, you can use what is known as a meat cutter: It consists of 48 pointed stainless steel blades with which you can cut small holes in the meat. However, before you marinate the food to be grilled, it is advisable to wash the meat under running water and then pat it dry with some kitchen roll (or a clean tea towel).
After marinating, the meat should go into the fridge and be taken out at least one to two hours before cooking – so that it is at room temperature if possible when it is placed on the grill. The rules for marinating do not apply to fish and poultry, since it is sufficient to marinate the food for a short time only.
In addition to the BBQ rub, i.e. a dry marinade, there are other preparation methods:
As the name suggests, herb marinades are based on fresh herbs – in combination with rapeseed or sunflower oil and a few spices of your choice (e.g. paprika). Here all the ingredients are mixed together and then evenly distributed over the meat.
Sweet meat marinades are also very popular. In addition to vegetable oil, ingredients such as honey or cane sugar, but also apple juice, are suitable for this variant. With fresh ingredients such as garlic and ginger, a nice seasoning succeeds.
Acidic marinades are also suitable for grilling, as they cause the protein in the meat to coagulate more quickly and the grilled food becomes tender. Combinations of vinegar and oil are ideal here – in combination with freshly squeezed lemon juice and herbs.
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