Health Oriented Rubs/Marinades

robnybbq · January 3

The healthy Egging thread has me thinking allot. Can you post some of your "Healthy" rubs and marinades?

I guess rubs that are low in sodium and marinades that are low in sugar/sodium as well.

Looking for some basic ideas on how to make some rubs as well. Example to make the dreaded chicken taste good and not like chicken.

fishlessman · January 3

did a marinade the other day for boneless skinless chicken tenderloins. lime juice and vinegar, some finely chopped garlic and some zatar seasoning (was looking for herbs de province but couldnt find it) and a splash of oil over night marinate. cooked it in castiron with sliced lemons and limes, searing with the lemons on top of the chicken at first and putting them under the chicken as a buffer to towrds the end of the cook, as they finished up a fresh squirt of lemon. lots of flavor. i did this trex style but would work pretty well using the stove top to sear and the oven to slow roast

Mickey · January 3

@fishlessman. That is a healthy meal I would eat lots of.

GQuiz · January 3

Dang that looks incredible. I'm a noob on the site. What is TRexing?

fishlessman · January 3

trex is an initial high temp sear, then remove the meat from the grill to rest for 10/20/30 or so minutes, then into a roasting temp 325 to say 400 to finish off. its a good method for thick steaks

Z_Eggineer · January 3

Greek Chicken is easy and healthy.

Mix and match oregano, lemons (juice and/or zest), garlic. Some Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper (black or white) is good in it too, but not sure what you are trying to cut down on.

Would be interested in finding traditional healthy rubs. Instead of salt and sugar being the main part, I am sure it would be paprika. (similar to memphis-style) For a larger piece of meat, rubs/marinades would not add much unhealthy things. Actual penetration is very minimal. TWSS

Actually, I think rubs/marinades are HEALTHIER because you are not putting calorie-filled sauces/condiments. Think about how unhealthy sauces based on butter, cream, eggs, HFCS, oil, etc are. The only thing I would worry about in traditional marinades (SOFA - salt, oil, flavor, acid -from Meathead) is the salt and oil. Oil is bad for you in large quantities period. You might need a little, but most Americans (especially me) get way too much. Some people are salt sensitive (not always directly linked to hypertension, blood pressure). If so, you can use KCl/substitutes, but I would recommend upping other flavors. Spices, peppers, herbs all have virtually no calories but make a big difference on flavor. /rant.

Dave in Florida · January 4

I just used Big Al's Original rub on a brisket. Rub has no sugar. We thought it was pretty good and plan to use it often to avoid so much sugar.

bboulier · January 4

As others have said, oregano, lemon or lime, garlic and black and chili peppers add a lot of flavor and are excellent alternatives to salt. Other herbs also work well - thyme, rosemary, sage, and others. Dizzy Pig has Salt-Free Dizzy Dust (excellent!) and Salt-Free Raging River, which I have not yet tried.

jlsm · January 4

This has oil, but the amount you drizzle over a breast amounts to only 2 tsp.

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

7 teaspoons fresh lime juice

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 1/4 teaspoons sugar

 Salt and ground black pepper

3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)

2 tablespoons water

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat

 Vegetable oil for grill rack

INSTRUCTIONS

. 1. Whisk together chili, 4 teaspoons lime juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in small bowl; set aside.

. 2. Whisk together remaining tablespoon lime juice, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, remaining teaspoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic, and water in medium bowl. Place marinade and chicken in gallon-size zipper-lock bag and toss to coat; press out as much air as possible and seal bag. Refrigerate 30 minutes, flipping bag after 15 minutes.

I cook these at 400 indirect for 15 minutes or so. Juicy and flavorful, unlike breasts prepared many other ways.

I also plan to try "The Chicken" skinless. It has a bit of oil, but not much for each serving.

Skiddymarker · January 4

Z_Eggineer said:

Greek Chicken is easy and healthy.
Mix and match oregano, lemons (juice and/or zest), garlic. Some Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper (black or white) is good in it too, but not sure what you are trying to cut down on.

Agree with this, basic souvlaki marinade, and we omit the salt completely. Add some marjoram and maybe touch of basil/thyme/rosemary for a more Italian flavor. Done direct, skewers of chicken are really good.

nolaegghead · January 4

I think the rub, in terms of the entire meal, contributes a negligible amount of sugar and salt to the final meal. Pork but is at least 20% fat. If you want to eat healthier, look at the gross ingredients from everything you eat in the meal and balance it out. Tenderloin, loin, top round, chicken breast, turkey breast, sirloin - there are many meats that have way less fat. That said, nothing wrong with trying to make each component as healthy as possible.

robnybbq · January 4

Just trying to make the healthier meats taste good. usually if its "healthy" its bland.

jlsm · January 4

"Healthy" often equates with dry, but I find the skinless chicken cooked on the egg (indirect at 400) turns out juicy every time, whether I'm cooking breasts or thighs. What kind of rub do you like? Put a little oil on the chicken, add a little rub and let it sit for a good half hour. Change it up later in the week with a marinade and a little sauce. That gets you chicken twice a week without sacrificing taste. (The small amount of sugar in rubs really won't make a difference, as nola noted.)

gdenby · January 4

Fishlessman's example above show 2 things that really boost flavor. The marinade had lots of non-fatty acids. It seemed odd to me at first, but i've found that adding a dash of fancy vinegar, such as sherry or champagne, really helps lots of bland foods.

And the chicken was well browned, using a minimum amount of oil. Maillard reactions for both meats and breads add lots of good flavor. Its not good to avoid all oils/fats, so use limited amounts of ones that really taste good, such as browned butter.

Another thing you might consider is ways of adding "umami," savoriness. Most fish sauces that I know of probably have more salt than you want, but low sodium soy sauce works well w. lots of meats. A little bit of parmesan on romano cheese would not add too much fat or salt while greatly boosting savoriness. Crusting meats in toasted nuts adds lots of savory, as well as some crunch.

Fresh spices and herbs are most delightful. Something as bland as rabbit tastes great with a dab of nose wrinkling fresh mustard, and fresh ground black pepper.

But face it, there probably is no such thing as healthy eating. If there was, there would be a thousand year old gourmand somewhere. And, while you might live a very long time eating nothing but bland, it won't be eternity, even if it seems like it.

Howdy, Stranger!

Forums

Health Oriented Rubs/Marinades

Comments