Nothing opens up the palate to new possibilities like the perfect rub. Meat rubs are made up of the right blend ingredients and seasonings that add flavor to your cut of meat. They are wonderful, and it is downright unfair to any meat-lover who has no idea they exist.
This article has the best meat rub gift sets that any meat-lover would be happy to receive.
Type of Meat Rubs
Wet Rubs: People might refer to these as brine in some circles. Brine is popularly known as salted water, but not in this case. The brining here is a mixture of the finest and most flavorful ingredients. Everything about meat rubs has to do with flavor, so if an ingredient needed to attain that flavor comes in liquid form, then the entire mixture becomes a wet rub. Vinegar, oil, apple juice, and salted water are common examples.
Dry Rubs: Each ingredient present in dry rubs is anhydrous, hence the “dry” in dry rub. They are often in powdered form after being ground up. Common examples include brown sugar, black pepper, garlic powder, and coriander seeds.
Meat Rubs: To Be Grilled or Barbecued?
Meat-lovers often make the error of thinking rubs are meant for every form of outdoor cooking – from grilling to barbecue. But there is a difference, despite the fact that the two terms are often used interchangeably.
Grilling is a faster form of cooking, meaning high heat and no smoke. It typically means cooking smaller-sized cuts of meat using an open grill without a lid. When grilling meat with rubs, the rubs are quickly burnt off and immediately turned to charcoal or ash because of the high heat.
Barbecuing, on the other hand, is a form of slow cooking. It’s commonly used for larger cuts of meat and uses less heat and more smoke on a grill with a closed lid. This allows the rubs and their ingredients to have more time to penetrate the meat and not get burnt off.
You should inform anyone you are sending meat rub gift sets to that rubs are meant for low and slow cooking on barbecues and not for high-temperature grilling.
How to Apply Rubs Correctly
Knowledge leads to mastery. And you can be certain that your loved ones will appreciate this information. Applying rubs on your favorite meat does not require any special skill, just attentiveness and patience.
The three ways of applying dry rubs are sprinkling directly on the meat, rubbing directly on the meat, or adding it to a wet ingredient to make a wet rub. Most meat rub gift sets come with shaker bottles to make the process easier and less messy.
If the rub has a liquid ingredient, it is a wet rub and can be applied as a paste or injected into the meat. A more common approach is to let your meat sit in the wet rub and marinate for hours.
Tips for Using Rubs
- Wash your hands – personal hygiene cannot be understated when food is concerned.
- Always rinse your meat, always.
- Dry your meat with paper towels before applying the rubs – this removes excess water.
- Do not be gentle with your massaging if you are using dry rubs. You should forcefully knead the rub into the meat to tenderize it.
- Rubs are meant for barbecues or any other slow cooking method.
In A Hurry?Here Are Our Top Picks..
Product Review of the 5 Best Meat Rub Gift Sets
1. The Spice Lab BBQ Barbecue Spices and Seasonings Set
- INCLUDES: 4 Shaker Jars of one each of the following Bad to the Bone, Sweet Rib Rub, Smokey Pecan Rib Rub & Ancho Chili & Coffee.
- ULTIMATE GIFT SET: One seasoning rub collection to rule them all! The preferred seasoning rubs by professional chefs, grilling cooks, and master barbecuers to take your cooking to the next level. This...
- USE: Our seasonings are perfect for delicious ribs, hamburgers, pork chops, meats, poultry, seafood and believe it or not vegetables and popcorn. These versatile, addictive seasoning blends can be...
Last update on 2024-12-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This gift set contains dry rubs perfect for barbecuing, grilling, and smoking. The seasonings are prepared in the United States and put in four shaker bottles. The bottles are see-through with black caps and flavors labeled Bad to the Bone, Sweet Rib Rub, Smokey Pecan Rib Rub, and Ancho Chili and Coffee.
These rubs are perfect for various meats, such as pork, ribs, poultry, hamburgers, meats, seafood, vegetables, and even processed food.
Bad to the Bone gives a savory and sweet flavor, adding traces of citrus in ribs, shoulder, pork butt, chops, and tenderloins. Smokey Pecan Rib Rub and Sweet Rib Rub have a varying balance of sweetness and smokiness. Both are ideal for beef, pork, and chicken. Finally, Ancho Chili and Coffee has a smoky and sweet flavor, making it a trifecta with a chili finish that’s great on chicken, pork, or beef. The Spice Lap specialty common in all its products is kosher salt.
Pros
- They smell great
- They are well packaged
- Very presentable
- Affordable pricing
- This set is highly versatile
Cons
- Broken seals are a commonly reported
2. Thoughtfully Gifts, Barbecue Rubs to Go Gift Set
- VARIETY SAMPLER - Includes a set of 4 uniquely flavored grilling spices and rubs in glass bottles
- FIRE UP THE GRILL - Rub flavors include Cajun, Caribbean, Mexican, Southwest and Memphis BBQ rub
- EXPERIMENT - Try one seasoning rub at a time or mix and match to customize to your tastes.
Last update on 2024-12-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This pack from Thoughtfully Gifts includes five unique vegan BBQ rubs – Cajun, Caribbean, Mexican, Southwest, and Memphis. They are packaged in transparent bottles with narrow necks and color-coded red, blue, orange, yellow, and green based on flavor.
This BBQ rub is versatile and can be used on a variety of different food products, including meat and vegetables. It is the perfect gift for the aspiring chef in your family.
Pros
- This rub is versatile
- Presentable packaging
- Available at an affordable price
Cons
- Labeling falls off after opening
- Salt is a major ingredient in nearly all their rubs
- The narrow necks make it difficult to get out rubs
- Non-sticking ingredients
3. FreshJax Smoked Spices Gift Set
- PERFECT SMOKED SPICE GIFT SET : Spice up christmas gatherings with our exquisite seasoning blends—ideal grill seasoning set for any occasion, whether hosting a backyard barbecue, picnic in the park,...
- ORGANIC & KOSHER SPICE BLENDS : Hand-crafted in small batches for rich flavor, each seasoning spice blend is made with premium organic ingredients. Gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and no artificial...
- MESQUITE LIME : Elevate dishes with this organic spice blend - perfect for guacamole, beans, rice, margaritas, veggies, eggs, and popcorn. Craft zesty chicken, Tex-Mex delights, and a spicy margarita...
Last update on 2024-12-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The FreshJax gift set offers vegan, naturally flavored, smoked spices. Five transparent bottles with black caps hold these gluten-free, non-GMO, untreated by irradiation, organic rubs. They are also certified organic and kosher by Americert International and Gesher K.
These spices are proudly made in the USA and mixed by hand in small batches.
The ingredients that make up each flavor are all organic. Campfire Smokey Sea Salt features smoked sea salt and red roasted chili powder. Smokey Southwest is made from chili powder, cumin, smoked black peppercorn, sea salt, alderwood smoked sea salt, smoked paprika, garlic, onion, oregano, and crushed red pepper.
Mesquite Lime Sea Salt features mesquite powder, sea salt, lime peel, dried maple syrup, chipotle pepper. Grill Master contains smoked black peppercorn, dill, onion, paprika, sea salt, coriander, thyme, garlic, fennel, and rosemary. Smoked Cherrywood Sea combines the ingredients mentioned above with smoked cherrywood sea salt.
Pros
- Organic ingredients, no artificial flavor
- The bottles can maintain the freshness of the ingredients because of the thick polystyrene foam pressure seal liner
- It is a versatile rub used for both meat and vegetables
- Presentable packaging
Cons
- The bottles don’t have filters to control usage
4. Craft Spice Blends Gift Set
- Craft Spice Blends Gift Set includes 4 of our most popular small batch seasonings and rubs packaged in an attractive gift box, perfect for any occasion such as Christmas, Birthday, Father's Day,...
- Versatile spice blends for BBQ, GRILLING, SMOKING, ROASTING, BAKING, SLOW COOKING AND MORE.
- NATURAL Seasonings and Rubs, no fillers
Last update on 2024-12-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Every part of the production process is started and finished in the United States for this rub. The four bottles are transparent with aluminum caps and are packaged in a completely enclosed box. Even though it is a small batch, this gift set holds Alehouse chicken seasoning, Whiskey maple smoke rub, IPA chili seasoning, and Bourbon barrel steak seasoning.
Ale House Chicken Seasoning adds a crisp, refreshing flavor because of the lemon and herb seasoning. Use the Ale seasoning on chicken, eggs, fish like salmon, salad, pasta, and vegetables.
IPA Chili Seasoning will make a very bold statement thanks to its chili mix with sweet ancho chili pepper, earthy smoked paprika, cilantro, and hops.
Use the Whiskey Maple Smoke Rub for beef, chicken, fish, and pork. Its flavor is notably characterized by garlic, onion, herbs, earthy smoked paprika, maple sugar, salt, and other spices – with a hint of hickory smoke.
Bourbon Barrel Steak Seasoning contains savory herbs, roasted garlic, spices, molasses, and salt. It is good for steak, chicken, hamburger, and pork. It’s also not called Bourbon Barrel for nothing. The rub undergoes an organic process of being smoked with bourbon barrels that have spent time marinating with whiskey inside.
Pros
- It is very versatile
- The bottles have shaker tops
- The use of all-natural ingredients
- The smell is very nice
- The packaging is very sturdy and very presentable
Cons
- Its bottles are made of glass and are easily broken if roughly handled
- It is a bit pricey
5. Spicewalla Grill Seasoning 6 Pack Set
- N THIS 6 PACK - Carolina BBQ Rub, Cowboy Grilling Rub, Honey & Herb Rub, French Herbed Dijon, Modena Balsamic Rub, and Garlic & Herb
- GREAT FOR GRILLING - Bold and hearty dry rub seasonings for just about anything from chicken breast, rib racks, carne asada, pork chops to brisket. Even vegetables!
- HIGH QUALITY & SIMPLE INGREDIENTS - Non GMO, Paleo friendly, No artificial flavors. Carolina Pork Rub, Modena Balsamic Rub, and Honey & Herb Rub are lightly sweetened with 2-3g sugar per tablespoon...
Last update on 2024-12-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This gift set has six square-shaped jars in one pack: Carolina Pork Rub, Cowboy Steak Rub, Honey and Herb Rub, Cracked Coriander and Pepper Rub, Mustard and Tarragon Rub, and Modena Balsamic Rub.
This rub gift set is great for grilling, even though it features somewhat rare flavors. It is the perfect gift for the grill enthusiast who loves experimenting with unique flavors. It’s great on rib racks, chicken breast, pork chops, carne asada marinade, vegetables, and brisket.
The rubs themselves free of genetically modified organisms. There is no artificial flavoring, and the ingredients are both organic and fresh.
Since these rubs are a little more unique, we want to break down the ingredient list of each one. The rubs from Spicewalla have Kosher salt and black pepper. The Carolina Pork Rub contains chili powder, brown sugar, granulated garlic and onion, mustard, celery seed, black and cayenne pepper.
The Cracked Coriander & Pepper Rub contains black pepper, garlic herb, coriander, yellow mustard, paprika, and rosemary. The Thyme Cowboy Steak Rub contains coarse black pepper, garlic oil, crushed red pepper, cumin seed, dill seed.
The Honey and Herb Rub includes brown sugar, garlic granules, smoked Paprika, honey powder, granulated onion, thyme, basil, citric acid, fennel seed. The Mustard & Tarragon Rub includes garlic, yellow mustard, salt, coriander, tarragon, parsley, dill seed, white pepper. The Modena Balsamic Rub features balsamic vinegar powder, garlic, brown sugar, tomato powder, a trace amount of wheat, and spices.
Pros
- The package is great and light
- No artificial flavor
- It is very versatile
- It is great for grilling
Cons
- They are quite tiny
- The products are not properly sealed
Bottom Line
Every meat rub gift set reviewed here would make the perfect present for the resident chef in your friend group. With that in mind, we know it can be difficult to choose. And it is very unlikely that you’ll just send all five of them as gifts at once. So we want to recommend our top choice to ease your selection process.
The FreshJax Smoked Spices Gift Set is sure to please any meat lover and is easily our top choice. It’s produced by FreshJax, a family-owned organic spice company in Jacksonville, Florida.
The company is committed to using high-quality ingredients that ensure product safety and transparency. FreshJax made sure their meat rubs were free of unnecessary ingredients to meet their mission. So no artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors, monosodium glutamate, radiation, preservatives, genetically modified organisms, or anti-caking agents.
The FreshJax gift set is made up of five different flavors – namely Smokey Southwest, Campfire, Mesquite Lime Sea Salt, Grill Master, and Smoked Cherrywood Sea – all packaged with thick polystyrene foam pressure seal liners to maintain the freshness of the ingredients.
The company has made some very versatile rubs, perfect to use for both meat and vegetables.
FreshJax uses organic products, which removes the need for artificial additives. Their flavors remain fresh, although it is always important to put the lid back after every use. It is an important way to ensure the rubs stay as good as the day you bought them.
Last Updated on April 29, 2022 by Judith Fertig
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