The Perfect Rub For Pork

A simple but flavorful rub for pork is easily obtained by using rosemary, garlic, sage, salt and pepper. I use fresh ingredients, which I think makes a difference. If you don’t have rosemary and sage in your garden, now is the time to plant. Or if space is limited, try pots in a sunny window.

Generally I use about half a bulb of garlic, but if using elephant garlic, one quarter might be sufficient. Peel, chop finely, then add some salt. With your knife at a forty-five degree angle against the chopping board, chop and drag, blade against the bits of garlic, the salt acting as an abrasive to turn the garlic into super tiny specks akin to a grainy paste.

The sage is best copped by rolling up the leaves into a log, chopping into shreds and then across the sheds into tiny bits that can be added to the garlic paste. The rosemary is treated much the same way. Pulling backwards off the stem, the woodsy scented leaves easily release themselves. Then chop, chop, chop. Add this to the garlic and sage, mix in a little pepper, and you have the perfect rub for any pork dish.

If using a pork butt, I place the fat side up, cut crisscrosses through it, and spread the rub across the whole thing. Some will slip into the cuts which is exactly what you want. The fat will carry the flavor through the meat as it melts, keeping it nice and juicy. You can oven roast, prepare in the crock pot or put on a smoker. Today we are smoking it, and it promises to be wonderful!

Oh, my, the finished product is fantastic!