Southwestern Rub

Inspired by The Good Housekeeping Cookbook (GHK)

Last night we had an awesome London Broil in under 30 minutes because I busted out the rub. I recently learned that rubs are much more flavorful and take way less time than marinades. It makes total sense why rubs pack the punch where marinades do not. Since we generally marinade meat and then cook the meat without the marinade, most of that flavor is gone. With rubs the flavoring stays right on the meat so that when you take a bite all of that spice goes into your mouth. Although I'm sure that leaving a rub on the meat to soak in is probably good, last night I just put it on and Edward grilled it up. I harvested all of our Brussels Sprout greens since Julie didn't think we'd actually get any sprouts, so I stir fried those up on the side. (I used just minced garlic, oil, and kosher salt to flavor...very healthy in my book. This is my mom's and my easy route to flavor. She's a pretty healthy cook because of my daddy's high blood pressure.)

The rub that I used was from the GHK book that I think was a very good deal. I got it 30% off at Barnes and Noble. Even at the regular price of $24.95 I think it is a good deal. It has a nice blend of general cooking info, recipes, and pictures. Pictures always help for the new cook. Of course, true to my nature, I couldn't follow the directions all the way....this irritates Edward a little.

This is the original rub recipe:

Southwestern Rub (GHK 300)

Combine 2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne), and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper.

My Southwestern Rub was:

Combine 3 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne), 1 tbsp crushed red pepper, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper.


All you have to do is pre-mix this in a bowl (I used a rice bowl) together and spread over all surfaces of the meat, including the sides of the meat. Since we love spicy stuff I added more pepper to liven it up a bit. Ed loved it. We didn't have ground coriander, so I omitted that spice. If you don't have a grill, you can pan fry each side so that the meat has that pretty brown color and then stick it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness. I'd do it at 375 degrees.

This was another awesome dinner that was pretty healthy, inexpensive, and quick. I trimmed off the fat from the meat, which made it slightly healthier, but that's optional. I've heard that the fat makes it juicier, but I was willing to risk the moistness to keep us a little healthier. I got the meat for about $7 from the market as it was one of Price Chopper's sale item. $2.99/lb. Pretty good in my book. I'd say with the spice and the handful of pasta I made as a side, the dinner was about $10 for the two of us. I'd say that we're doing pretty well with eating tasty, healthy meals on a budget. When I get my comp back I can post a picture for you, although it just looks like your average steak. Anyway, if you are tired and don't have a lot of time this is a good route to take. It's very tasty and easier than expected. I think that it was faster than having a pizza delivered. Cheaper too! Beat that Rachael Ray! (Don't worry, I still love watching you.)

My Auntie Mary emailed me today and said that I'm becoming a good cook like my mommy. That made me grin a little. My mommy is a very good cook. The only problem I have is that I can't cook Chinese food! Well, I haven't really tried lately. My beef and broccoli over rice is very inconsistent though. It's either too salty or not salty enough. Poor Juni had to put up with my culinary experiments before Ed came around.

Thinking about food has taken over my life I think. Two nights ago I had a dream that I found a small place that sold Scotch Bonnets. Those are the peppers that go into Jamaican Jerk seasoning. I've heard that they are considered the spiciest peppers in the world. They are very pretty to look at and probably taste very good too. If I can find them I'll be very happy. That's all for now folks!