Rubs vs Marinades vs Glaze .Which is your favourite ?

If you live in Africa the Barbecue season is always with us! Some lodges offer a unique African experience barbecuing local game meats as well as tasty vegetarian options. Whichever way you look at it your barbecue offerings will be interesting and tasty if you use a dry spice rub, marinade, or glaze.

 

Every Barbecue Pitmaster has their favorite. However, it is useful to remind ourselves of the difference between the three.

Marinade

Best described as a liquid. It is a mixture of oil, spices, herbs, and even wine. The food soaks in the marinade before barbecuing. This imparts flavor and helps to tenderize.

Mix the following to create a marinade.

 

  • Oil (Olive Canola Peanut Oils)
  • Acid (Citrus/Vinegar)
  • Sugar (Normally Brown sugars or molasses)
  • Salt (Kosher salt, Soy sauce )

 

Rub

Normally a mixture of spices, herbs, and seasonings. These coat the surface of the food. These will give flavor to the food but doesn’t tenderize. It also creates an attractive crust on the food.

 

Glaze

Liquid seasoning mixture applied directly during cooking and on completion. It is often glossy and gives a shiny finish. It is best drizzled over the food or applied with a brush.

 

Marinade Tips

 

  • Fish and seafood should not marinate for too long. A good time frame is 15–30 minutes before barbecuing.

 

  • Chicken: Usually two hours is the maximum time recommended for marinating chicken particularly when it is in pieces.

 

  • Beef, Pork, and Lamb: These marinate for longer times  1–12 hrs. Many recipes call for the meat to marinate in the fridge overnight

 

  • Vegetables: the dense kind i.e. sweet potato, carrots, turnip or fennel can marinate up to 4 hours. The softer kind should not be in the liquid for over 30 minutes.

 

  • It is not good hygiene practice, to use a marinade that has been in contact with raw meat when barbecuing. Better to keep aside a small portion of the marinade to use.

 

Here is a basic All-Purpose marinade recipe to use on Meats /Chicken and Vegetables.

 

Marinade 

 

¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ cup of Canola or Sunflower Oil

3 Garlic cloves–grated

3 Tablespoons Red wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Thyme

1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns

5 Dried Chilies (Dried are fairly strong so adjust to taste)

3 Bay Leaves

 

Combine all these ingredients and stir.

 

Dry rubs tips

 

  • The main advantage is that they add no extra moisture to the outside of the meat.

 

  • Many barbecue pitmasters prefer this as it results in a quick sear to the meat and caramelization to the crust.

 

  • Prefer a more liquid finish? Then brush a glaze over the meat after barbecuing.

 

Garlic and Herb Spice Rub

 

¼ cup Light Brown Sugar

¼ cup Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Ground Black pepper

1 x Tablespoon Dried Oregano

1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

1 x Tablespoon Dried Basil

2 Tablespoon Dried garlic powder

2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

 

Mix all ingredients together. Add a small (teaspoon) amount of olive oil just to get the mix to stick together.

 

Glaze Tips 

  • Be careful to apply the glaze at the right time.
  • Most glazes are “barbecue sauce” which is sticky and tasty. The best time to apply the glaze is about 10 minutes before the meat or vegetables are done. This will allow caramelization but avoid burn.
  • Move the food to a cooler part of the grill to prevent burning.

 

Basic BBQ sauce for glaze

.

These are ingredients that most people have in their kitchen cupboard.

½ half a cup of ketchup/Tomato Sauce

¼ cup prepared Yellow Mustard

¼ cup Honey

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Mix all the ingredients together and warm.

 

 

The choice of how to impart extra flavor to your barbeque is yours alone. Experiment to get that perfect result.