Dry Rubs vs. Marinades: Which is Best for Flavor?

Recently, my husband has been doing much more of the cooking lately. That is, until he got a side job. Which. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining by any means. But I’ve noticed something.

The last few meals he’s made he’s marinaded the meat. We had Carne Asada tacos one night, and shrimp Tacos another night. They were delicious!

Well, I realized the day before he started work, that he would probably be too exhausted the first day he comes home from work. So I’ll just go ahead and plan dinner since I’ll get off 2 hours earlier than he will.

I saw pork chops in the freezer. He loves how I do my pork chops, so I chose those. After they were 90% thawed out, I thought about what flavor profile I was looking for. Then I remembered a seasoning Daniel had been trying that’s been delicious! I decided to season the pork now, and let the seasoning really soak into the meat overnight.

What’s a Dry Rub?

a Dry rub is exactly what it implies. Its a blend of herbs and spices, blended and put on the meat directly, usually rubbed on. The dry rub will create a crust on the meats surface, and is a great way to retain moisture and promotes caramelization.

What’s a Marinade?

a Marinade is a mixture of acidic liquids and seasonings to tenderize and add flavor. Typically, you soak meat in a Marinade mixture for several hours. It’s a great way to tenderize tour tougher cuts of meat. Its awesome with veggies or tofu too.

What to Choose?

What you choose is ultimately up to you. You should take what cut and kind of meat you are using. Are you doing something with a cut that’s typically tougher? Make a Marinade. OR maybe your doing a really nice tender cut of pork. Do that with a dry rub. Also make sure to think about what kind of flavors you want to stand out more than others.