If you love to barbecue meat, veggies or even fruit-kebabs, grilling spices may be just what you need to make the best barbecue your friends have ever tasted. Called rubs, the spices are rubbed on the item you plan to put over the coals to give it a unique flavor. Many cultures have a combination of grilling spices that represent their unique barbecue heritage. For example, you may find special combinations for French/Cajun, Southwest, Mexican and Appalachian flavors. If you know someone who loves to grill, a grilling spices gift set may be a very welcome gift.

The Art of the Rub

Salt is an important ingredient for most meats, but it should not be applied with the grilling spices. The spices in the rub go about an eighth of an inch deep into the meat. They are considered a surface treatment like a sauce. Salt, on the other hand, penetrates much deeper into the meat and should be applied well in advance of the spice rub. There is no point in applying the spices in advance because they will only stay on the surface in any case. There is no problem applying salt with the rub, but it is not optimum for flavor. Grilling spices can be applied dry, wet or as a paste and if you add sugar, you will get a caramelized effect.

Health Benefits of Grilling Spices

Research conducted at Kansas State University found that black pepper and other spices applied to raw meat before grilling may eliminate most if not all of the carcinogens that are created when meat is cooked over an open fire. This is good news. The study also recommends watching the meat so it doesn’t burn. Grilled meat is tasty when it is properly cooked, but burning it not only changes the flavor of the spices, it is not healthy.

A grilling spices gift set will be a great addition to the cooking arsenal of anyone who loves to barbecue. There are a myriad of flavors available for each chef to find his or her unique blend.