Info-Leeches and other E-Invertebrates

Bamboo tea is a Dai Nationality ethnic tea. There are two ways to make the bamboo tea. One way is to fill processed (killing out and kneading and rolling) young tea leaves (one bud and two and three leaves) into a bamboo tube, and bake it on fire. The other way is to steam sun-dried tea leaves on top of sticky rice for 15 minutes, then fill tea leaves into a bamboo tube. Bake the tube while filling and compressing leaves into it. After the tube is full, seal the tube with bamboo leaves and bake it on fire. Turn the tube every 5 minutes till the tube turns into yellowish color and the leaves inside it are dry. Cut open the tube, and the bamboo tea is done.

When drink bamboo tea, add small amount tea leaves into a bowl, brew them with boiling water for 5 minutes, and the tea is ready for drinking. Bamboo tea has yellowish green tea liquor, pleasant aroma, and refreshing taste. Dai people use bamboo tea to serve guests.

About the Author

Check out our web site http://www.teahub.com for many tea related discussions.

There’s nothing more delicious and nutritious than strawberries and bananas together. Now you can have these two delicious fruits in a scrumptious milkshake. Strawberry Banana Milkshake is a great drink to have any time of day.

Bananas and strawberries are good for you and go perfectly with milk. You’re probably used to having them on your cereal, but now you can see how delicious they are in a tall, frosty glass filled with this wonderful milkshake. Enjoy.

Strawberry Banana Milkshake

2 bananas
10 oz. box frozen strawberries, partially thawed
2 cups milk
2 pints strawberry ice cream

Directions

Slice the bananas. Combine bananas, strawberries, milk and 1 pint of the ice cream in blender, in batches.

Blend until smooth. Top each with scoop of remaining ice cream.

About the Author

Copyright 2005
Donna Monday
Easy to make - fun to drink
http://www.1st-milkshake-n-smoothie-recipes.com

Alot of poor people who had artificial hip replacement applied in their hip cup replacement surgeries are finding that there are complications that far exceed the average expectations for recovery. These patients are experiencing a lot of extra pain sensation for longer time periods, expecting revision surgical operations and increased medical expenses, and losing income by not being able to work at their official jobs. Although Zimmer Holdings, Inc. is postulating that that their hip replacement implant is not malfunctioning and not to be held accountable for the faulth cup hip implants, numerous patients are filing lawsuits against them and taking settlements.

These hurting people definitely merit some help and restitution which obviously is why product liability attorneys are telling them to file a lawsuit. hip revision has been resolving these claims before they go to court. Even So, even if the settlement they are being offered seems like it could be a air settlement, in most cases people are resolving too quickly and without provision put in place for repeat issues if they return. If they don’t wait to find out what an actual case is worth, individuals could find themselves incurring alot more expenses from their own pocket when more problems start to surface.

Anyone who believes they probably have a claim against Zimmer may consider an investigation into it. If you imagine you might qualify, you should probably telephone a attorney to be certain. Try to find a lawfirm that covers nationwide and centers their attention on litigation against faulty medical devices. This law firm has done the extra work and setup a special section to research and handle the claims against Zimmer and win substantial settlements for their customers.

If your orthopedic physician breaks the news that will have to have a revision operation to fix your Zimmer Durom hip replacement device, get in touch with an lawyer immediately.

Once your lawyer determines that you have a case, be prepared to spend some time waiting it out for the best possible settlement that you could possible get. Pay close attention to the wisdom and advice that your attorney provides for you and do not rush the process including the restitution. By not rushing this stage, you will most likey get a larger settlement offer.

Green olives are olives that were picked before they are ripened. Black olives were picked ripe and dipped in an iron solution to stabilize their color. After they are picked, green lives and black olives are soaked in a milk solution of sodium hydroxide and then washed thoroughly in water to remove oleuropein, a naturally bitter carbohydrate.

Then green olives may be allowed to ferment before they are packed in a brine solution. Black olives are not allowed to ferment before packaging, which is why they taste milder than most green olives. Green olives that do not ferment before packing taste as mild as black olives.

Greek and Italian olives are black olives that taste sharp because they have not been soaked to remove their oleuropein. They are salt-cured and sold in bulk, covered with olive oil that protects them from oxygen and helps preserve them. Olives are a high fiber, high fat food that derive 69 to 78 percent of their calories from olive oil, a predominantly unsaturated fat.

A serving of five olives, green or black, weighing 19 to 22 g, has 2 g fat. A serving of ripe olives has 1 g dietary fiber while green olives has less than 1 g. Those that are on low-fat and low-sodium diet should exclude or avoid this food.

When buying olives, look for tightly sealed bottles or cans. Small olives are less woody than large ones. Green olives have a more astringent taste than black olives. Greek olives, available only in bulk, have a sharp spicy taste. Pitted olives are the best buy if you want to slice the olives into a salad, otherwise olives with pits are less-expensive and a better buy.

Always store unopened cans or jars of lives on a cool, dry shelf. Once you’ve opened a can of olives, take the olives out of the can and refrigerate them in a clean glass container. In order to avoid having the olives taste too salty, bathe them in olive oil before using.

Olives are also processed for its oil. They are pressed to produce olive oil, one of the few vegetable oils with a distinctive flavor and aroma. Olive oils are graded according to the pressing from which they come and the amount of free oleic acid they contain. The presence of free oleic acid means that the oil’s molecules have begun to break down. Virgin olive oil is oil from the first pressing of the olives. Pure olive oil is a mixture of oils from the first and second pressings. Virgin olive oil may contain as much as 4 percent free oleic acid. Fine virgin olive oil may contain 3 percent free oleic acid, superfine virgin olive oil 1.5 percent, and extra virgin olive oil 1 percent.

Olive oil is a more concentrated source of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) than olives. Because it is high in unsaturated fatty acids, whole carbon atoms have double bonds than can make room for more oxygen atoms, olive oil oxidizes and turns rancid fairly quickly if exposed to heat or light. To protect the oil, store it in a cool and dark cabinet.

About the Author: Cindy is the host of http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com, a Free Asian Recipes website dedicated to all things on Asian Cooking and Culinary Guide with thousands of Cooking Tips.
Besides, she is also the host for http://www.vietnamese-recipes.com and http://www.making-coffee.com

Source: www.isnare.com

One of my favourite types of food is Indian cuisine. So being able to make Indian style food on the barbecue appeals greatly to me.

Tandoori food is traditionally made in a clay oven called a tandoor in which meat is placed on long oversized metal skewers and placed through the top of the tandoor, with the tip of the skewer touching the bottom where the charcoal is smouldering. The heat inside the tandoor sears the surface of the meat, while the metal skewers conduct the heat through the inside of the food. Cooking the meat simultaneously on both the inside and the outside.

Naan bread is cooked by slapping the dough mixture onto the inside of the tandoor. It cooks has it hangs down from the inside of the tandoor, forming into a teardrop shape.

Tandoori food can easily be cooked on a barbecue grill and you’ll achieve very similar results as obtained using a tandoor.

It’s normal for tandoori food to be slightly seared black on some of its edges. Which is caused from the intense heat created inside the tandoor.

The Barbecue tandoori chicken recipe below makes a good start to cooking tandoori style on your barbecue.

Practically every Indian restaurant offers tandoori chicken. The secret behind this succulent tandoori chicken dish lies in the long marinade in yogurt with spices. The coloring used to achieve the distinctive tandoori color is created using alkanet root. This is not readily available so food coloring powder can be used to achieve a similar result. Use either red, orange or yellow.

Serves 6

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 24 hours
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
6 large chicken legs
4 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt

Marinade
9 fl oz (265ml) of yoghurt
3 tablespoons of mustard oil
9 cloves of garlic, crushed
1.5 teaspoons of salt
2.5 teaspoons of paprika
2.5 teaspoons of ground coriander
2.5 teaspoons of ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons of ground ginger
0.5 teaspoons of food coloring powder (red, orange or yellow)

1. Skin the chicken and slash the flesh with short gashes. Place in a shallow dish and rub the lemon or lime juice, and salt, into the flesh. Leave for about half an hour.

2. Mix all of the other ingredients together and rub thoroughly into the chicken. Cover and leave to stand overnight in refrigerator.

3. Place the marinated chicken over medium hot coals and grill for about 25 to 30 minutes until cooked. Turning occasionally and basting with any remaining marinade.

4. Serve on a bed of lettuce and onion rings with a wedge of lemon. Accompanied with naan bread and tandoori chutney.

For naan bread and tandoori chutney recipes, and other tandoori recipes, visit www.barbecuehut.com/barbecuerecipes.html

About the Author

Les runs The Barbecue Hut website that provides useful information about barbecue grills and smokers, and also includes a wide selection of recipes.
He is also author of The Char Grill Chat newsletter.
Website:
http://www.barbecuehut.com

Newsletter:
http://www.barbecuehut.com/chargrill_chat

Pain. The great leveler. The rich feel it. So do the poor, the happy, the sad, tall, and short. And, of course, article writers, too. It’s therefore not surprising to note that since the dawn of time, humans have attempted to discover ways to reduce pain. In some respect, our ability to experience pain, and seek ways to solve it, connects us more than anything else. But what exactly is pain and how do we deal with it?

Pain is a message sent by the body to the brain, signaling the presence of disease, injury or strain. Without pain, you would be unaware of many problems - from torn ligaments to appendicitis. Pain is simply, Mother Nature’s way of telling you something is wrong.

Many of us kill the messenger with narcotics, anti-depressants and tranquilizers that take care of the symptoms, but not the cause of the pain. This kind of treatment cannot only mask symptoms of serious disease, but can also create a cycle of chronic pain.

Not all pain though, serves a useful function. While acute pain, as described above can alert us to a serious problem, chronic pain can linger long after an ailment or injury has healed in the body. Examples of chronic pain include backache, migraines and arthritis. In these cases, pain management, as opposed to a cure, may become the goal of treatment.

The psychological effects that accompany recovery from a disease or injury heighten chronic pain. A loss of confidence is often triggered by prolonged periods of rest and inactivity that cause a loss of physical strength, endurance and flexibility. If the injury has prevented you from performing your usual duties, you may succumb to frustration and depression. Impatience is chronic pain’s best friend as many individuals overexert themselves before they have completely healed, thus triggering more pain.

Various treatments can help alleviate chronic pain. Some treatments do so on a purely physical level by interfering with signals from the nerves to the brain or desensitizing the nerves. The following sections are meant to introduce you to some of the ways of dealing with pain without relying on non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, narcotics, tranquilizers or anti-depressants.

For many people, particularly those in the western world, pain relief solutions such as acupuncture, and herbal medicine are novel concepts. However, the rest of the world is probably wondering what the fuss is about, because these traditional approaches to pain relief have been around for thousands of years; Traditional Chinese Medicine, which relies on various techniques and herbs in order to balance the body’s internal energy, is over 5,000 years old.

Acupuncture: the ancient Chinese Practice of acupuncture is based on the belief that health is determined by the level of chi (vital life energy) that is in t he body. This energy is thought to move through the body through pathways called meridians, which connect to specific organs in the body. Acupuncturists insert needles into points on the body that connect to these channels to release blocked “chi” that might be the cause of pain. During acupuncture treatment, the acupuncturist inserts thin needles for anywhere from a few minutes to a half an hour into specific points on the body. This practice is thought to stimulate endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and is useful for the treatment of a variety of disorders including backache, sinus pain, jaw pain, spinal disorders, withdrawal and mental disorders.

Herbs: another important part of traditional Chinese medicine is herbal medicine. Herbs have been used for centuries for their pain relieving qualities. Here are some herbs that are recommended for common disorders:

Cramps & Spasms: angelica, cramp bar, kava, rosemary, valerian root.

Nerve Pain: capsaicin, chamomile, gotu kola, licorice, white willow.

Back Pain: hops, wood betony, passionflower.

Migraine: feverfew, linden, skullcap.

Headaches: peppermint, spearmint.

Joint pain: ginger, sea cucumber.

Meditation: meditation, which has also been practiced for thousands of years, is a conscious attempt to calm the mind so that it is not cluttered with thoughts and anxieties that might be contributing to an unnecessary belief in the existence of pain. There are hundreds of different meditation techniques, but mostly they all into three categories: concentrative, mindful and transcendental meditation. During concentrative meditation, focusing on a single sound, object or one’s breath, produces tranquil mind that facilitates the production of pain-relieving endorphins. During mindful meditations, the mind is encouraged to become aware of, but not reactive to thoughts, feelings and sensations in order to achieve a tranquil state of mind.

Nutrition: eating a well balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables is thought to be the best way raise your pain threshold or resistance to pain. A deficiency in any of the main vitamins (A, B, C, D or E) can cause chronic pain. Vitamin E is used to treat joint pain. A deficiency in calcium, iron, magnesium and other minerals may also lower your pain threshold. A calcium magnesium supplement taken in a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium is thought to relieve joint pain and headaches. Manganese is a vitamin that is sometimes used for chronic headaches and neuralgia. A deficiency of the B vitamins is also thought to cause nervousness, headaches and chronic pain.

Aromatherapy: sniffing or applying essential oils is thought to change an individual’s brain chemistry so that pleasurable neuro-transmitters called endorphins are released to relieve pain. Geranium, jasmine, juniper, lavender, peppermint, rose, rosemary and thyme are oils commonly used for this purpose.

Guided Imagery: research has indicated that bodily functions that were previously thought to be beyond conscious control, such as chronic pain, can be controlled thorough the use of visualization. Guided imagery encourages the sufferer to think in pictures that eliminate negative thoughts thus raising levels of pleasurable brain chemicals, such as serotonin, decreasing anxiety and increasing the effectiveness of the immune system. Through guided imagery, the mind conjures up mental scenes in order to better direct the body’s energy. For instance, if an individual is suffering from a stabbing pain, he or she might want to imagine a knife being removed from the spot and a subsequent glowing feeling of relief. Guided imagery has been used successfully to manage the pain of headaches, sinus problems, arthritis and cancer.

Biofeedback combines a variety of relaxation methods, such as guided imagery and meditation with the use of instruments that monitor the individual’s responses to the therapy. After many treatments, biofeedback is thought to train the individual to consciously regulate autonomic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and other processes that are commonly believed to be out of our control. During a session, electrodes connected to a monitoring unit are taped to the skin. The monitor measures skin temperature, pulse, blood pressure, muscle tension and brain activity to determine the success of the relaxation technique. Eventually, over time, biofeedback can train an individual to control the pain of such disorders as TMJ, headaches and migraines.

It is difficult to imagine a world without pain; where would our poetry come from? What would divas sing about? Given that pain is probably always going to be a part of our world, it is of critical importance that we understand the various methods that exist to manage that pain. For some of us, that remedy may lie in the traditional realm, while for others it will be through prescription drugs or some other alternative. Regardless of what remedy you choose, make sure you inform yourself of the various pain treatment options open to you, and by doing so, you may just reduce the amount of suffering in your life. And isn’t that, in some respect, the goal that we all strive towards?

It is important to note that the above suggestions do not represent cures for conditions, but more represent strategies and opportunities to manage your chronic pain. It is also recommended that you consult with your health practitioner before embarking on any new pain management program.

This article may be free published provided the link below is included with the article: www.rx-site.com/tramadol-fioricet-alternatives.html.

Peter Donald is a writer and Webmaster at www.rx-site.com, a site that offers medical information, resources and articles on various health topics including pain relief and weight loss.

A Crock Pot Recipe!

I can always use another crock pot recipe! I work full time, and come home each evening to my husband and four children, and dinner is waiting on the table, all made up from some nice crock pot recipe. Talk about a lifesaver! I would love to spend time in the kitchen whipping up a traditional meal. I still do that on some weekends, but the rest of the week I rely heavily on crock pot recipes. Even the busiest people can find time somewhere. Finding time to prepare dinner right at the dinner hour can be close to impossible, though. Crock pot recipes allow me to pick the time that’s best for me. When I happen to think about it the night before, I can start getting everything ready then, defrosting meat and gathering ingredients. Some of the simpler crock pot recipes can be thrown together in a few minutes in the morning. I get up, throw this and that in the pot, head out the door, and know that in the evening dinner will be ready on time.

Very busy lifestyles can mean a lower quality of meals. Fast food is convenient in a pinch, and children are drawn to it, but studies prove that fast food falls way short in nutritional requirements. Frozen dinners aren’t much better. Compared to those, a crock pot recipe is bursting at the seams with nutrition, not to mention the great homemade taste! Working parents have to make a particular effort to ensure nutritional value for their families.

About the author:

http://www.a1-crock-pot-4u.info/crockpotrecipe.html

legal online sports betting

A lot of betters will certainly have heard of the caption “offshore sports betting”, though a few might not be wholly assured what it suggests. A foreign betting internet site basically functions out of the control of any particular country but alternatively it could also be a live betting web site which has all of their main servers in a land in which machine-accessible wagering isn’t at this time illegitimate. Succinctly therefore, it’s a wagering site active outside the nation of the wagering fan. Web based sports gambling webpages are in the main modulated by 3 structures. These are the OSGA (the Offshore Gaming Association), IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) and finally the Fidelity Trust Gaming Association FTGA.

The Offshore Gaming Association is in fact an autonomous body that oversees the overseas sports gambling trade in an attempt to afford sports betting lovers access to swiftly identify dependable internet organizations to play gambling games on, without unease. The Offshore Gaming Association labors to guard betting devotee’s rights, additionally they charge no society costs. The OSGA is a competent and non-biased third party agency who express neutral impressions, built around customer feedback, nonpartisan analysis, telephone calls, prompts and also offers industry information.

The Interactive Gaming Council is a non commercially motivated administration. The council has been established to provide a platform for involved people to talk over topics and in addition to communal concerns in the international interactive sports gaming trade, to establish conscientious and also accountable professional rules and procedures which improve client faith in web based gambling products and services, and also to help as the industry’s extensive practise advisor and it also offers an info clearing house.

The IGC have built up a name for honesty, integrity and also credibility by virtue of the uncompromising moral code it presents, and its allure to business organizations of honorable practise. The Interactive Gaming Council regularizes offshore sports gambling through implementing a characteristic ten-point set of standards and in addition bills sports betting internet sites fees to exhibit their logo. Discontented clients can, if they require, report any of their problems to the IGC.

The FTGA was formed in a venture to compose a benchmark which will upgrade the procedures of networked sports betting sites. The IGC understand that by doing trade with web sites of honorable reputation, they can fashion an alliance of the fairest and most efficient offshore gaming companies all over the world.

So, there are establishments that keep an watchful eye on the procedures exercised by live sports gambling and which should serve to allay a few of the misgivings experienced by skeptics. World wide web based gambling internet sites are absolutely trustworthy, now that personal details are not a necessity also the rewards not to mention the odds should be equivalent to your familiar Vegas-style stake. They lessen traveling, but retain of a Vegas casino, but these days you are able to game in the comfort of your own home.

50% Less Cooking

without hitting the fast food button! Don’t you just cringe when some clever kitchen type tells you what you could be doing with the leftovers in the fridge, when it’s plainly obvious the leftovers will stay there until they walk out by themselves!

More often than not, saving money with leftovers, although a great idea, takes a lot of time in preparation and relies on many other ingredients being available. So……….

Design your own leftovers!

Cooking twice as much as you need ‘by design’ allows you the extra time tomorrow with the added bonus of knowing what you’re going to cook.

Dithering around in the kitchen working out who wants what and what you forgot to buy, takes ages. If you know you’ve already got a portion of the evening meal ready in the fridge, life becomes a lot less stressful.

Most ‘in-the-pot’ dishes like bolognaise, chile, casseroles and stews can all be made in double quantities in very little extra time. Make sure you thoroughly reheat meat dishes until very hot. The only real problem with in the pot recipes is that you’re obliged to eat the same meal two nights in a row. Although you can serve it with rice, pasta, or potatoes to add some variety.

If you’ve managed to cook enough rice to feed the neighborhood, don’t throw away the leftovers. Let the rice cool completely, place in a bowl, cover with plastic food wrap, and refrigerate. Then the following evening you have a base for a new and exciting meal…try these ideas:

• Egg Fried Rice: Make a plain omelette and remove from pan. Cut into small pieces and set aside.. Put cold leftover rice in the pan and stir gently. Add omelette pieces, stir and heat until hot right through. Serve with Chinese style ribs, or veggie sausages.

• Special Fried Rice: Fry in olive or nut oil a finely chopped onion, tomato, green pepper and a few sliced mushrooms. Add leftover rice to pan. Stir gently. Add sweetcorn for colour and a few chopped walnuts if liked. Serve with any meat, fish, egg or veggie dish.

• Rice Salad: In a large bowl, mix leftover rice with fresh raw chopped vegetables; onion, tomato, sweet pepper, celery, sweetcorn, and any other favorites hanging around in the fridge. Chill for half an hour before serving. A half mayo-half natural yogurt dressing can be gently stirred in if liked. To create a whole summer meal in a bowl, add chopped boiled egg, cooked flaked fish, pieces of ham or cooked chicken or even nuts and raisins!

Potatoes can easily be turned into ‘designer leftovers’

Cooking a whole tray of jacket potatoes will take no longer than cooking one or two, just a few extra minutes scrubbing time needed. Store leftovers in the fridge.

• Flat Fries: Slice and shallow fry leftover jackets in hot olive oil and some mixed dried herbs or cumin spice. Turn occasionally. Serve hot with anything.

• Family Omelette: Peel and dice leftover jackets and gently fry in olive oil, with a chopped onion. Pour over beaten eggs and add some grated cheese. Cook gently for a few minutes. Turn and cook the other side. The omelette will probably fall apart during this manouevre. Just push it back together. No-one will know! Serve hot with a green salad.

• Rough Potato Salad: Peel leftover jackets and chop roughly. Mix in a large bowl with sweetcorn, tuna and a little chopped onion or chives. Serve with a mayonnaise sauce.

Hot mashed potato, served with a delicious gravy, is always a family favorite. Make twice as much and delight the family two days in a row! Cool the leftover mash thoroughly. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic food wrap and refrigerate.

• Baked Mash: Put leftover mash into a large bowl and stir in cooked flaked white fish, bacon pieces, or cooked vegetables. Place in a greased ovenproof dish, top with grated cheese and bake in a medium oven until hot right through.

• Burger Mash: In a large bowl, mix leftover mash with a little beaten egg, some chopped chives or very finely chopped onion. Then form small balls in your hands. Flatten slightly and, if available, coat with breadcrumbs or chopped nuts. Fry as you would a burger!

• Cottage Pie: Cook minced beef, or veggie equivalent, a chopped onion and a tin of tomatoes together and place mixture in a large lightly greased ovenproof dish. Spoon leftover mashed potato over the top, and sprinkle on a little grated cheese, if liked. Heat through thoroughly in a medium to hot oven and serve hot with green vegetables.

Cook a slightly larger chicken and keep the leftovers covered - and maybe hidden - in the fridge. A vegetarian equivalent of chicken will work equally well with these dishes.

• Quick Chicken Curry: Pour a home made curry sauce or a jar of ready - made over cut up leftover chicken pieces and heat through thoroughly in a hot oven. Always make sure re-heated meat is steaming hot right through. Serve with rice or jacket potatoes.

• Chicken Salad: Mix cold leftover chicken with a finely chopped onion and stir in a half mayo, half natural yogurt dressing. Add a few walnuts for an extra special treat. Chill for 30 minutes and serve with any dish..

• Chicken Stir Fry: Put cut up chicken pieces in a frying pan with a little olive or nut oil. Mix in thinly sliced sweet peppers, onion, tomato and any other bits in the fridge that look healthy enough to eat. Cook gently for a few minutes, ensuring the chicken is thoroughly hot. Then mix into a bowl of hot cooked noodles. Serve with an oriental style sauce.

Hot Tip: Planning a few menus in advance will mean you are always in control of nourishing and tasty meals, and no need to lean guiltily on the microwave waiting for the latest TV dinner to cook!

Linda Gray is a freelance writer based in a log cabin in a wood. See what else goes on between the trees over at http://www.mylot.org. Drop in anytime!

How to Use Your Dry Rub

A dry rub is a versatile combination of spices that extends beyond the boundaries of barbecue, and can be used to season any dish where you want to add a kick of flavor. In addition to the usual method of rubbing it into meats, a dry rub can be used to add new and unusual flavors to vegetables, salads, casseroles, and can even be used to spice up condiments such as mayonnaise for that steak sandwich!

Rubs can be used completely dry or they can be incorporated into a liquid, usually an oil of some sort, but they are frequently combined with other “secret” purees and liquids, providing an additional dose of flavor as well. In these cases, it is referred to as a wet rub or paste. We prefer to use a wet rub with an oil base as a coating for vegetables or shellfish prior to grilling or roasting, as the oil helps the spices adhere better to these foods and aids in the roasting process. We also mix our rubs with mustard and horseradish and use this paste to thoroughly coat our briskets prior to their long slow smoking.

When using rubs in recipes that require an extended cooking time in liquids, such as in a crock pot or batch of chili, it is best to add the dry rub or Texas chili seasoning required in small batches throughout, or towards the end of the cooking process. This keeps the spice flavors at their peak and will provide a more flavorful end product.

When used as a rub for meats, the process is quite simple and adds a tremendous amount of flavor to the finished product.

Step 1:

Wash the meat, and trim it of any excess fat, silver-skin, etc. Dry the meat thoroughly with a paper towel, discarding paper towel when finished.

Step 2:

Generously sprinkle the dry rub, or spread your wet rub paste, to cover your meat of choice with a thorough layer of the spices. With chicken and other birds, gently lift the skin without tearing it, making sure to get the rub in direct contact with the meat as well as on top of the skin and thoroughly within the cavity, to add even more flavor to your finished bird.

When done your meat should be coated with a nice even layer of rub or paste.

Step 3:
(Optional - especially with fish and delicate foods)

Using your fingers, gently work the rub in a circular motion, being careful not to crush the meat. On heartier cuts such as brisket or pork shoulder, use the palm of your hand to work the rub into the meat, giving it a good exercise; this helps break down the connective tissues of these tougher cuts.

Step 4:

If you performed step 3, apply additional rub to evenly coat the meat.

Thoroughly wrap the meat in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator if cooking at a later time, or leave wrapped at room temperature if cooking time is less than 1 hour away. Do not leave your meat un-refrigerated for an extended period of time as this may result in the meat becoming unsafe to eat.

It is not necessary to let the meat sit for several hours after applying the dry rub. However, if you do have the time, allow the rub to really penetrate into the meat and increase the flavor level by letting it have at least one hour of resting time prior to cooking. For even greater results, let the seasoned meat sit in the refrigerator overnight, wrapped in plastic wrap.

Step 5:

About a half-hour before cooking the meat, remove it from the refrigerator, take off the plastic wrap and allow to return to room temperature. If a dry rub was used, it will have become pasty from the juices of the meat. Be careful when handling the meat, so as to avoid rubbing away any of the paste - it makes for a tasty crust, or what is referred to as “bark”.

If desired, you can add more rub to coat for even more flavor.

Cook meat in desired manner, and bon appetite!

About the Author

Joe Johnson is a founding partner with Caroline’s Rub - Fine Spice Creations , where he is in charge of product promotion and development, and where he serves as the executive chef.