Special Rubs to Spice Up Your Beef

Spice up your beef—and your life—with some delicious rubs. BUT, (and this is a big but) always remember that tender dry-aged beef and fullblood Wagyu have a huge edge over your typical grocery store fare.

If you’ve never tried dry-aged beef or fullblood Wagyu, try simple salt and pepper before going ham with spices. You’ll be surprised by the amazing depth of flavor and delicious marbling. When you’ve got great ingredients, you can start simple—then have some fun!

(For larger roasts, you may have to double or triple these recipes.)

Slickhorn Signature Spice Rub  

Designed for Dry-Aged Beef

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1 tbsp onion powder

Instructions

Yeah, we made a special rub that’s just for you. These spices enhance the dry-aged flavor of our beef for a match made in heaven.

Combine everything and give it a stir to evenly distribute the spices. Give your beef a rub-down (wink wink) to dry it off, then coat it with the spices. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the spices to meld into the meat. For deeper flavor, you can marinate it in the fridge for a few hours.

Sweet + Smoky Spice Rub  

A Little Sweet, a Lot Smoky, and Totally Delicious

Ingredients 

• 2 tbsp brown sugar (here comes the sweet)
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika (here comes the smoky)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions 

Delicious beef and smoky flavors will always be a classic combination. This is especially good on cuts you’re grilled or smoking.

Combine everything and give it a stir to evenly distribute the spices. Give your beef a rub-down (wink wink) to dry it off, then coat it with the spices. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the spices to meld into the meat. For deeper flavor, you can marinate it in the fridge for a few hours.

Coffee + Rosemary Spice Rub 

Savory, Sweet, Rich, and Surprising

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp finely ground coffee
• 1 tbsp crushed fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Coffee does more than put a pep in your step every morning. It’s also an amazing complement to dry-aged beef.

Combine everything and give it a stir to evenly distribute the spices. Give your beef a rub-down (wink wink) to dry it off, then coat it with the spices. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the spices to meld into the meat. For deeper flavor, you can marinate it in the fridge for a few hours.

Cajun Spice Rub

A New Orleans Kick with an Herby Undertone

Ingredients 

• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp white pepper

Instructions 

Cajun cuisine blends culinary influences from French, Spanish, African and even Native American influences for an absolute explosion of flavor.

Combine everything and give it a stir to evenly distribute the spices. Give your beef a rub-down (wink wink, still funny) to dry it off, then coat it with the spices. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the spices to meld into the meat. For deeper flavor, you can marinate it in the fridge for a few hours.