How to use steak rub to cook up the perfect cut of steak

What’s the secret behind a great steak? Apart from the quality of the meat, one of the most important things you should keep in mind when firing up your grill for a steak is the rub. Knowing how to use steak rub properly can make a world of difference.

If you’ve never used a good steak rub to season your steak before tossing it on the grill, believe us, you’re missing out! The taste that a dry-rubbed steak provides is next to none and we can guarantee that you will never look back after trying it once.

What exactly is steak rub?

We want you to experience this delectable treat firsthand. So, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to cook up the perfect cut of steak with steak rub, but not before we dive into what a steak rub is.

It is precisely what it sounds like—a combination of selected ingredients blended together to create an amazing combination of taste and texture for steaks. These rubs work by infusing their flavours into the meat pre-grill with the cook rubbing it into the meat thoroughly.
You can choose from a wide variety of steak rubs that have different flavourings, aromas, and textures to cater to the exact tastes you need.

How to use steak rub: A step-by-step guide

Excited to dive into steak heaven? Let’s get to it! Here’s your step-by-step guide to crafting the best cut of steak you’ve ever tasted.

Choose the steak

The first consideration for steak is always the meat. While beef is the most common form of meat used for steak, you can even prepare steaks with other meats like pork, chicken, lamb, turkey, and even fish.

If you’re not familiar with cooking a rib eye or a fillet mignon, simply opt for a meat type that you’re familiar with cooking. You can use dry rubs on any type of meat so all that matters here is your ability and taste.

Select the dry rub

Before learning how to use steak rub, you should choose one. The choices are nearly endless now as there are so many delicious flavours and combinations to choose from. Certain dry rubs are made to work well with certain types of meat, so when choosing a dry rub, make sure you buy one that works well with the meat type and cut you chose to get the best flavours out of it.

If you’re unsure of what type of rub to go with, you can simply opt for an all-purpose rub. These dry rubs generally contain a set of spices and flavourings that can work with any type of meat or cut, so you can enjoy a nice, balanced meal.

Preheat the grill

The great thing about dry rubs is that marination isn’t a must. You can simply apply the dry rub and throw it on the grill—you will get a perfectly seasoned and flavoured cut of meat out the other side.

However, if you want the best flavour out of the meat—which is what this guide is all about—then we recommend that you marinate the rubbed meat for around 24 hours. This will give the flavours of the rub a chance to really seep in and enrich the flavour.

Prep the meat

Give your cut of meat a quick rinse with cold water. Make sure not to soak the meat as this might diminish its flavour. Once rinsed, dry it out with a paper towel and make sure all the moisture from the water is gone.

Now you are almost at the stage of applying the dry rub. But before you do, there is one more step. Apply olive oil to the meat and slather it all through the cut, using your hands if necessary to make sure the olive oil is applied evenly throughout the cut of the meat.

Apply the rub

Let the rubbing begin! With your cut of meat slathered with olive oil, add a generous amount of the dry rub of your choice onto it and start rubbing. One effective method to do this is the wet hand/dry hand method, where you apply the dry rub onto the meat with your dry hand and use your wet hands to really rub it into the meat.

Make sure to always be generous with the amount of dry rub you apply because the more you add, the more flavour you will get. Remember to check if your rub contains salt because you don’t want to end up with a salty steak!

Fire it up

Now it’s time to fire up the grill and get to cooking! Make sure to preheat your grill to 175-200°C before placing the steak on the grill. 

Once the steak is placed, leave it for around 3-4 minutes to sear. Flip and do the same for the other side and remove from the grill. For a usual medium rare steak, you should remove the meat from the grill at 52°C and the final cooked temperature should be 54°C.

Cook up the perfect cut of steak with this step-by-step guide on how to use steak rub

Voila, you’re done! We hope you learned how to use steak rub the right way and know how to cook the perfect steak as well. Enjoy with your family and friends!