Dry Rub

Okay, so I have become pretty famous (at least amongst my circle of friends) for my BBQ ribs. The reason is a dry rub that I apply to all of my slow cooked pork products. I have decided to share my recipe with the world. Here you go...

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tsp ground mustard seed
1 tsp ground cumin seed
1/2 tsp very finely ground medium roast coffee
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp "Mural of Flavor" - a dry herb mixture available at Penzy's Spices
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground juniper berry
1/8 tsp ground allspice

Apply to ribs or pork shoulder and let cure at 4 hours (overnight is better) before slow roasting or braising. The coffee is key. It adds a nutty/earthy component and the caffeine helps to tenderize the meat.

I've also recently done a reimagining of this rub that adds 1/4 teaspoon of yellow curry and 1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Yellow curry is loaded with turmeric and adds a subtle sweetness as well as an interesting flavor profile.

This mixture could also be applied to vegetables. I think it would work really well with mashed sweet potatoes or pureed carrots.