Add a French touch to the barbecue: 100% organic rubs by Terra Madre

Working on a similar principle to a marinade, a rub or dry rub is a spice blend that is sprinkled dry on food to be cooked on the barbecue. Your meat, fish and vegetables will take centre stage for alfresco dining on sunny days! Simple to use, these mixes help to form a spicy, caramelised crust which gives your ingredients an inimitable taste.

Created by our spice brand Terra Madre, in collaboration with quadruple French BBQ champion Anthony Le Brière, our seven recipes with their original flavours mean you can enjoy cooking with no fuss! No more long drawn-out preparation times that you get with marinades – instead you can add flavour in a few minutes and with original, premium quality, 100% organic spices free from additives and colourings.

A rub – not a rib! What exactly is it?

Originally from the United States, the name comes from the verb. Unlike a marinade, this is about using only dry spices, sprinkling them over whatever it is you are cooking and gently rubbing in the flavours.

The mixture is made up of a base of salt (from Guérande) which draws out the juice from the meat and allows deep seasoning, sugar (from Madagascar or the Philippines) for caramelisation, onion and garlic powder whose water-soluble flavours penetrate the ingredients and give them that typical American barbecue taste.

The variations are created by adding different spices and aromas, all of them from specific places (white pepper from Madagascar, Ceylon cinnamon, Espelette pepper PDO and herbs from Provence). Anthony Le Brière helped us to compose the first complete range of premium and organic quality French rubs. An innovative, easy-to-use range of original recipes made in France!

Anthony Le Brière: shining an expert spotlight

The first Frenchman to be invited to the barbecue world championships in the United States in 2019, Anthony Le Brière is a shining star in the field: having won awards several times for his grill master skills at the French championship between 2015 and 2019.

His input was invaluable in adjusting the balance of flavours in the spices and flavourings. This fan of Auguste Escoffier* has worked in culinary establishments ranging from the restaurant at the Eiffel Tower to the kitchens of Joël Robuchon, including those of Paul Bocuse in Florida. With his 25 years of experience, Anthony has guided us in the creation of each recipe while singing the praises of the premium quality of our spices, which are winning over more and more gourmets.

Rubs – so easy to use!

The principle of a rub is to form a crust around the meat cooked on the barbecue – the thicker the layer the more the sweet/salty and flavourful the food will be. To obtain such a result, it’s important to cook slowly between 90°C and 150°C.

This type of cooking is the best way to obtain a lovely caramelisation on the surface of the food, while it stays nice and juicy on the inside, with a long, slow cooking that doesn’t dry it out and or burn the spices. However, you can also cook on the grill, in the oven or even in a pan, because the rubs are first and foremost a mix of spices that give a lift to meat, fish, shellfish and vegetables when added at the last minute!

General use: for immediate use

Sprinkle the spice blend liberally all over your meat, fish or vegetables. Rub in for a few seconds so that the spices are well distributed. Cook on the BBQ and enjoy!

Variation: prepare ahead

After applying the rub to your food, keep it cool, and well wrapped for between two hours and 24 hours. The flavours will be even more pronounced if you leave it marinading for longer.

A rub for every occasion

• Beef up your cuts of beef with “Ultimate beef!”
• Cheer up your chicken with “Crispy poultry!”
• For a lip-smacking leg of lamb add “Incredible lamb!”
• Perk up your pork with a dash of “Perfect pork!”
• Spice up your barbecued meats and vegetables with sprinkling of “Spicy Texas!”
• For flavoursome fish, shellfish and seafood try “Zesty fish!”
• Give some va va room to your vegetables with a dusting of “Sunny veggie!”

Cooking tips:

• For a tasty marinade, mix the rub with vegetable oil.
• Add some rub to your mayonnaise for a dressing with a twist.
• For homemade burgers, mix your rub with minced meat or a vegetable mix before cooking, for great results!
• Try something different, add to tofu, seitan, make a buddha bowl with sweet potatoes and spicy chickpeas, vegetable wraps or a white cheese sauce …

There are so many possibilities with our seven Terra Madre spice blends, My French Rubs, and so many different culinary options to try: the barbecue will take on a new significance and you won’t be able to live without it!

Check out some suggestions on our product sheets

*Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and food writer whose recipes still influence many French Chefs as he made a huge contribution to French gastronomy. Most notably, he codified and modernised the refined cuisine of hotel palaces, elevating the profession and inventing the concept of the brigade in the kitchen.