You wanna talk about something good!  Oh baby, this smoky sweet rub recipe is just right for those meat eaters who prefer smoky flavors with a little tinge of sweet. It always makes me wanna take another bite.

I have massaged this rub into locally grown pork baby back ribs, pastured raised whole chickens for roasting, sprinkled over grass-fed beef burgers while grilling and used it to spice up broiled Texas Gulf shrimp.  The original recipe said it was good with pork shoulders and briskets.  I'll let you try them out and tell me.

HERE'S WHAT I CAME UP WITH

makes about 1 cup of dry rub

• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 2 tablespoons dark smoked salt like Chihuahua de Mexico Black Salt
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon good chili powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground all spice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then empty into a 8-ounce jar with a good lid, cover, and store away from heat and light.  This rub keeps for several months.

GREEN & HANDY TIP

I never throw away a good jar with a good lid.  I have a small box of baby food jars that I use to store small amounts of herbs and spices.  They're perfect since I like to buy spices in bulk.  Pasta jars, sun-dried tomato jars, other spice containers are all great for storage.

Have you read that post where I talk about buying spices in bulk?  It's not long, so if you have a few more minutes, take a look.

Here's the link: I CAN Save Money at the Foodie Mart

Have I got something yummy for all you meat lovers out there!  In this recipe post, I'm going to go over what I did to quickly cook up these tender pork baby back ribs.  Now for those of you that already know how to cook them on the grill, you need to scroll down and look for the words, "Smoky Sweet Rub Recipe".  Click on the text and go make yourself a batch of this rub.  It'll  make you cry out for your momma.

HERE'S WHAT I DID TO SERVE 3 MEAT LOVERS

• 2 pounds pork baby back ribs
• Smoky Sweet Rub Recipe

Lay the ribs in a shallow dish.  Massage the dry rub over the ribs, then let them sit out for at least 30 minutes, or better yet, wrap'em up tight and put'em in the icebox all night or all day.  If they're cold when you're ready to start grilling, leave them out on the counter for 30 minutes.

Heat the gas grill to about 400ºF or use a broiler.  Grill the ribs over indirect heat for about 15 minutes on each side. The last 5 minutes, slide them over the direct heat to blacken the spices.  Remove from heat and allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing up the ribs.  That's long enough for you to set the table and get your sides ready.  Don't forget some hardy napkins.

Smoky Sweet Rub Recipe

This American barbecue sauce recipe is by request from a long time reader here on SimpleDailyRecipes.com.  It comes straight from my favorite barbecue cookbook by Steven Raichlen. (See book cover & click on image to check out Amazon reviews for yourself.)

HERE GOES

Make 2 cups.

• 1/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup red bell pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup with no high-fructose corn syrup
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup club soda
• 1/4 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon apple juice
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• salt

Pour honey into a heavy nonreactive saucepan.  Add peppers, onion, jalapeno and slow fry over medium heat until the peppers are soft and the onion translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer the sauce, uncovered, until thick and richly flavored, 15 minutes.

Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth.  Correct the seasoning, adding salt, vinegar, or brown sugar if needed; the sauce should be sweet and tangy.  If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little more club soda.  Use right away or transfer to a large jar, cover, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.  The sauce will keep for several months.

Make a kid dinner, he can eat for the day.  Buy a kid a cookbook, he can cook dinner for his family a couple nights a week.  LOOK AT THAT FACE.  That's one proud kid.  His first time at the grill was a success!

Max worked diligently on planning this barbecue spare ribs dinner; reading and rereading the recipe, trying to figure out what else he would serve.  OH! And you should have seen him bouncing around.  The excitement of working Mom's big, gas grill turned him into a spaz.  He was nervous and excited about working around the hot flames.  He worried that he would burn the ribs and ruin dinner.  He even dug out the kitchen timer to keep track of his cooking times.  Finally, when he pulled those beautiful smoky ribs off the grill, he couldn't get over how great they looked.  And let me tell you straight up, no mother's bias included, THOSE RIBS were GOOD.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

Serves 4

• 12 pork spare ribs
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
• fresh ground pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the crushed garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, tomato paste, honey, mustard and pepper.

Lay the ribs in a shallow dish.  Pour the sauce over the ribs, then let them marinate for at least 20 minutes.  It's alright to leave them out on the counter.  If you plan to marinate the ribs longer, store them covered in the refrigerator.

Heat the gas grill to about 400ºF or use a broiler.  Grill the ribs for about 15 minutes on each side.  Brush with sauce if needed when it's time to flip the ribs.

Heat any remaining sauce in a saucepan, let it simmer for 5 minutes and serve it with the spare ribs.

For another terrific barbecue sauce to slather on these ribs in the last 5 minutes of grilling, read
A MANLY BARBECUE SAUCE - IT'LL PUT HAIR ON YOUR CHEST.  It's a perfect dunking sauce, too.

All sorts of folks have been making hot wings for some time now and we all know there's nothing new under the sun.  However, not all hot wings recipes are created equally delicious.  Am I right?

A good hot wings recipe needs to start with tender, smoky wings that are juicy, not overcooked.  The heat of the sauce should have a kick right up front but mellows after the wings are gone.  And the creamy dipping sauce should be strong enough to stand up against the spicy wings, but not be so powerful that it stands separate from the other flavors.

I was inspired by a fellow food blogger, Donalyn of dlyn.com,  to make up a batch of hot wings.  I followed the idea of her hot wings recipe with what I had on hand, and her Creamy Feta Salad Dressing recipe, too.  WHAT A HIT! I tell you these wings and a pitcher of homemade Sangria is all you need to start a great night of grilling.

The recipe I'm sharing with you will satisfy four adults as an appetizer.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 20-25 chicken wings
• 1/3 cup neutral tasting oil (save your olive oil for another recipe)
• 5 large garlic cloves, finely minced (I love garlic.)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• 1 teaspoon New Mexico chili powder.

Coat the wings with these ingredients and allow to sit for 1 hour, or chill for as long as you need, or refrigerate overnight.

While the wings are marinating, prepare the spicy after grilling sauce.

After the wings are grilled sauce.

• 1/2 cup Cholula Hot Sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon New Mexico chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Mix together in a microwaveable bowl, heat for up to 2 minutes, until the ingredients come together into a sauce.

That didn't take long, let's go ahead and mix up the Creamy Feta Dipping Sauce, too.

Creamy Feta Dipping Sauce

• 2 large garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Either in a food processor or with a wonderful hand blender, put all the ingredients together EXCEPT the feta.  Blend them until smooth.  Taste for salt (but remember Feta is salty) and pepper.  If you like a thinner dipping sauce, trying adding milk 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 3 tablespoons.  When you got that where you want it, process in the feta cheese with a few pulses.  Leave some the feta in small bits through out.  Cover and refrigerate until it's time to serve the wings.

NOW LET'S GRILL!

Using either charcoal or gas for your grilling, get the temperature up to 325º-350ºF.  Direct heat works well for the wings to give them semi-crispy skins.  The short grilling time will ensure juicy wings.  If you don't have a thermometer to measure your heat, do the hand count method.

Hold your hand at grilling height over the coals. Count the number of seconds you can hold you hand there before the heat forces you to move it.

• 2 seconds, hot coals: 400 - 450º F degrees
• 4 seconds, medium coals: 350 - 375º F degrees
• 5 seconds, low coals: 300 - 325º F degrees

Give the wings one more good toss around in their marinade for a good oily coating, before putting on the grill.  Grill for 5 minutes on each side, set a timer to make sure you don't overcook them.

Remove from heat, transfer to medium to large size bowl.

Pour on the spicy red sauce.

Grab some BIG napkins. Pour the Creamy Feta Dipping Sauce into individual bowls, so you can double dip, and y'all are ready to eat!

This rub carries plenty of heat and not a bit of sweetness.  Use this rub whenever big flavors are needed and don't use more than you mean to.  It's got a kick.  The book mentions not to overlook its use on chicken, seafood and great on grilled veggies, too.

Besides the way it enhances the taste of pastured raised, grass-fed meats, I really appreciate that the ingredients it takes to make the rub are commonly found in our spice collection.  No special, hard to find, gourmet ingredients in this one.  That's why I keep using Raichlen's book; it really helps me discover new grilling flavors with what I already have on hand.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES FOR THIS GREAT RUB
makes 1 3/4 cups

• 1/2 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 3 tablespoons pure chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Stir all the ingredients in a bowl.  Store in a large jar, covered, away from heat and light. Like I mentioned already, this rub will keep for several months.

Come back and let me know what you think.

Forget all about those bottles of barbecue sauces they sell us at the grocery stores.  Make a batch of your own and barbecue will never be the same.  I promise ya.

Taken from one of my most trusted cookbooks, Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs, And Marinades by Steven Raichlen.  This is the Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce from page 134.  It is the finest barbecue sauce recipe I have ever sopped up with a slice of bread and licked off my fingers. OOO-WE!!!

It's so good, I've learned to double the recipe and put up the extra for future grilling.  Use as you would any barbecue sauce, brushed on pork, ribs and chicken toward the end of cooking and poured freely at the table.  Use it to make pulled pork sandwiches, dip your ribs in it, dunk your crispy chicken in it, drizzle it over a bowl of pinto beans.  Anytime, anywhere.  It's out of this world!

Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce is thick, sweet, dark red with a zing of vinegar, a whiff of liquid smoke, full of spice, and finishes with a little warmth on the way down.  It's sweet, smoky and warm, but not so warm kids and sensitive taste buds can't eat it.  Even the most delicate palates will be reaching across the table for more.

Now don't be put off by the long list of ingredients.  There's nothing here that you probably don't already have on hand.  If you are shy on a few bits, then run to the store and get'em.  This sauce is worth the trip and it keeps VERY WELL for several months in the refrigerator.  Under the recipe, I included what it takes to put up this barbecue sauce for longer storage in your pantry.  There's nothing to it.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

to make 5 cups

• 6 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark rum or whiskey
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon pure chili powder
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 cups (24 ounces) ketchup
• course salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients, except for the ketchup, in a large, deep, heavy, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook, uncovered, until all the ingredients are dissolved, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the ketchup and bring to a boil, stirring well, as the ketchup has a tendency to spatter.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce the heat slightly and gently simmer the sauce, uncovered, until dark, thick, and richly flavored about 30 minutes, stirring often.  Use right away or transfer to clean jars, seal, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.  The sauce will keep for several months, but you'll probably eat it all up within a few weeks.

_____________________________________________________________________

TO PUT UP A BATCH OF SAUCE FOR LONGER STORAGE
Before you start making the barbecue sauce, set up the area for canning.

Bring boiling-water canner, half-full with water, to simmer.  Have a kettle of hot water ready to add to canner later.

Wash jars and screw bands in hot, soapy water; rinse with warm water.  Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat.  Let stand in hot water until ready to use.  Drain well before filling.

Prepare barbecue sauce following the recipe above.

Ladle the hot sauce in hot, clean half-pint or pint canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.  Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Place the jars in the rack.  Add enough boiling water to reach 1 inch over the jar tops.  Cover and heat.  Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 20 minutes (start timing when water begins to boil).  Remove the jars from the canner and place upright on a towel to cool completely.

After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger.  If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

Let jars stand at room temperature 24 hours.  Store unopened jars in cool (50ºF to 70ºF), dry, dark place.  Use within one year.

I will give credit where credit is due, upfront, so there is no mistake.  I got Mojo De Ajo from Rick Bayless and his TV show "Mexico - One Plate at a Time."  

My wife and I make this and use it to top anything from Steak off the grill, to vegitables, even use the oil for a base as dipping sauce for bread.  This is absolutly fabulous!  Dont know if I could have posted this (with attribution) to your site, like in the comments, or not, but wanted to share at the very least with you.

Hope you enjoy!

Final note - this recipe hinges on the Olive Oil.  The 'fruityer' the better.   -Tim

Now this fajita rub recipe is an adaptation from the most trusted grill master, Steven Raichlen.  I've never had one of his recipe turn South on me.  In fact, his recipes make me look like rock star.  I didn't have the exact ingredients his recipe called for, I had to improvise instead.   In the end, all was a success and the men-folk went ga-ga over the fajitas!  Everyone uttered groans of happiness with cheeks filled with smoky spicy beef entwined with grilled onions and bell peppers.  Oh what a dinner!

HERE'S THE WET RUB
Makes plenty for 2 pounds of skirt steak.

• 1/3 cup onion
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons neutral tasting oil, plus more for coating meat

• 2 tablespoons New Mexico Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoons course salt
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
• 3/4 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Chihuahua de Mexico smoked salt (optional)
• 1/2 tablespoon dried cilantro or 2 tablespoons fresh
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Process the onion, garlic and oil in a one cup food processor until they practically pureed.  Add in all the remaining ingredients and blend well.

Arrange the meat in a glass baking dish.  Massage the wet rub into and onto both sides of the meat, be generous and completely coat the meat.  Drizzle a little extra oil over the both sides of the meat to prevent sticking when it's time to grill.  Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Use this smoky combination of spices on skirt steaks, chicken breasts, or whatever other food you plan to grill for the fajitas.  Cover and marinate in frig for 30 minutes to 2 hours before grilling.

This recipe is about the marinade I soaked the chicken boobs in.  That colorful vegetable medley on the side is Sweet & Zesty Fiesta Salad.  It works as an addictive dip or a beautiful side to the chicken.  I've also eaten it all by itself for a light lunch.  It's very versatile.

As for the marinade, the perky lime juice mingles with the fresh onion and spicy garlic.  The parsley and rosemary add color and a fresh taste of bright green to the chicken.  All together, they make an incredibly flavorful chicken that only needs a hot grill to finish it off.  You could easily roast the chicken after marinating it, but I like firing up the grill any chance I get.

BRAZILIAN GARLIC-LIME MARINADE
Makes 1 cup; enough to marinate 2 to 3 pounds of meat.

• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion, enough to make 1/3 cup
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 3/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary

Place garlic, onion and salt in a 1-cup food processor until finely chopped.  Scrape into dish or bag you will use to marinate meat.  Add the lime juice, vinegar, parsley and rosemary.  The marinade taste best used within a few hours of making.

Use this marinade for pork, chicken or lamb.  Marinate thin cuts of meat (steaks, chops, and chicken boobs), covered in the frig for 1 to 2 hours; larger cuts of meat, such as pork loins or shoulders, for 6 to 8 hours or even overnight.

IF YOU'RE GRILLING THE CHICKEN

Make SURE to coat the chicken with cooking oil before placing on the grill, to prevent sticking.  Grill chicken as you normally prefer.

IF YOU'RE ROASTING THE CHICKEN

Make sure to coat the chicken with cooking oil.  Heat oven to 350ºF degrees. On a baking sheet covered with heavy duty foil, drizzle and coat breasts with light cooking oil. Bake covered for 35 to 40 minutes for bone-in breasts. For boneless breasts, roast for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness.