South Texas Chuck-Wagon Rub

This here’s the kind of rub that ranch hands rubbed into beef before tossing it over mesquite coals on the open range.

Five ingredients mashed into a paste: crushed garlic, seasoned pepper, dried green chile, cayenne, and seasoned salt. That’s it. No fancy spice blends, no measuring cups, no nonsense.

The garlic and chiles form a wet paste that clings to meat and chars into a deeply savory crust on the grill or in a cast iron skillet.

Smear it on steaks, brisket, pork chops, or chicken thighs and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Pro Tips

• Mash the garlic first with the back of a knife, then mix in the dry spices. The garlic moisture binds everything into a spreadable paste.
• Let the rub sit on the meat for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the fridge for deeper flavor penetration.
• The cayenne is the heat, the green chile is the flavor. Adjust the cayenne up or down to suit your crowd.
• This rub works on a screaming hot cast iron pan just as well as it does on an outdoor grill.