Rubs... I need a rub education.. plain and simple. I used Famous Dave's Rib rub on my first rack of ribs. It was good but maybe a bit garlic strong for my palate. I don't want ribs sweet... peppery.. salty perhaps. I've never used a rub on my steaks. I do like a marinate, some McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning, and some beer for a couple of hours prior to grilling. I will have to check the rubs a bit more seriously.
Smoked Salmon sounds so good.... mmmmmmm. I've never tried any sort of fish on the bbq. I think I've cheated myself out of some great stuff. Shrimp.. salmon... wow!
First off, NEVER buy pre made rubs. They're almost guaranteed to be old and stale and how hard is it to mix a few ingredients anyway?
Rub 101 (this coming from a somewhat experienced pit master with limited competition experience)
Start off simple, no more than 6 ingredients. As you get more comfortable you can add more.
As a base try equal parts brown sugar, kosher salt, paprika and half measures of onion and garlic powder and course ground pepper. If you want heat, add a bit of cayenne. Taste it before use! It will be salty but should taste good. Cheap paprika can lead to a bitter chemical taste too.
For pork, sweeter is better. For beef especially brisket, lower the sweet and bump the pepper. Good quality brisket is fine with just salt and lots of black pepper IMHO.
Some people go way over the top with rubs, using 20+ ingredients. I find that useless complication that you can rarely taste. My current favorite rub contains salt, paprika, brown sugar, onion powder,black pepper, Chipotle powder, Ancho powder, cumin and a bit of Mexican cinnamon.
There's a whole lot of BS in the BBQ world. Rubs don't "get into the meat" nor do they appreciably tenderize unless they contain some form of enzyme. You can rub and let sit over night, it won't hurt. OTH, In my own casual tests, I've yet to find a flavor or tenderness difference between over night and one hour before cooking. Also, the highly prized smoke ring? Nothing to do with smoke. Get roast pork from a Chinese take out. It will have the most beautiful smoke ring you ever saw....no smoking involved. Go to any BBQ competition and you'll hear all the talk of layering flavor, shocking the meat, tenderizing by massage, ect. All BS. People see and taste what they want to, whether it's fact based or not.
As for Salmon? Get a cedar plank (a thick cut shake/shingle will do). Place a few lemon slices a little salt and dill sprigs in the cavity of the fish, place it on the plank and grill it closed. Depending on grill temp, ~ 10- 15 min with an internal temp of 135. The plank should be singed around the edges and will impart a nice smoky taste. Simply the best way I know to serve salmon. Clean ups easy too! Sear off some fresh corn and a few spears of baby potatoes and dill for an impressive elegant and almost absurdly easy to prepare dinner. Enjoy!
Since I'm in a sharing mood, a bonus
My current favorite KC type sauce based loosely from Poppa Jacks Shed Spread (which was too darn sweet for me)-
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Andy spread
2 c tomato sauce (I like redpack)
1 c tomato puree (fresh much better than canned)
1/4 c tomato base (ketchup)
1 lb brown sugar
2 tbl molasses (not black strap!)
1/4 c Worcester sauce
2 tbl soy sauce
1 tbl yellow mustard prepared
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 sp cayenne or Chipotle powder
1/4 cup rub
1/4 c bourbon
1 tbl Apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon squeezed
Wisk everything but the lemon juice together, bring to boil and simmer to thicken, about an hour (*depends on wateriness off tomatoes). Reduce or eliminate the cayenne/ chipotle if you don't like heat (or if your rub is very hot). Add lemon when reducing is done and check for tartness. If you want a richer sauce, add a pat or two of butter at the end.