Rub

There are some good basic rub recipes at amazingribs.com. I really like Memphis Dust on pork ribs. Big Bad Beef rub is awesome on short ribs.

You probably have the ingredients at hand for a basic rub. Just about every rub for pork has sugar, salt, paprika, and black pepper. Most also have onion and garlic powder, some cayenne and mustard. Beef rubs tend to go easier on the sugar, and up the salt. Poultry rubs can be a little harder, because most recipes use more herbs than spices, and those tend to bake away. I like to make herbed butters, and put those under the poultry skin. Helps crisp the skin, and seems to hold the herbal flavor better.

Get a little mortar and pestle. Buy whole spices when possible, and grind those as needed. What I find is that fairly small quantities of other flavors beyond the basics I mentioned above can go a long way to giving a rub a very distinct character. A little nutmeg, a touch of clove, a dash of cinnamon, some fresh thyme, or crushed ginger can really make something that lights up the mouth without overwhelming the meat flavor.

Check around for oriental markets. Spices there tend to be much less expensive, and usually good quality.

There are some decent commercial mixes available that you might want to try as bases. Mrs. Dash mixes lack salt and mostly do not have sugar. Add you own salt and sugar to taste. Mc Cormick's Montreal seasoning is pretty good for steaks. Old Bay can work well w. poultry. Etc.

Here is my favorite fajita seasoning. Not much is needed per batch of fajitas. Also - do yourself a favor and make a batch of Mickey's Coffee Rub!