The bulk of our meat comes from farmers we know, raised humanely, less than an hour from our house. I typically make two trips a year, in the spring and fall, to pick up eight whole chickens or a processed half-a-hog. Which means that I have to get creative in my meat cooking. I rarely have on hand “boneless, skinless chicken breasts” or a quick-dinner pork loin. What I have a lot of are two-inch thick ham steaks. And the way we’ve come to love eating them is slathered in a rub and grilled over a wood fire. Below find our two favorite rubs of the moment.
Santa Maria Rub
- 2 Tbsp. finely ground coffee
- 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Stir together ingredients and store in an air-tight container.
Spicy Pork Rub
- 2 Tbsp. ground paprika
- 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. onion powder
- 1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. fine sea salt
- 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
Stir together ingredients and store in an air-tight container.