about2loseit
New member
I'll take a burger . . . hold the bacon, oil, grease, and fat! I've been to cook-outs where some of these things are added to enhance moistness or flavor. Most of the time, burgers are made with fat-heavy ground beef instead of lean beef because no one wants a dry burger. You've seen these burgers - you go to take a bite of one of these burgers and the grease has soaked through the bun and is dripping onto your plate. Are you seriously gonna put that crap into your body?? Well, don't! To keep my burgers moist, I take some lean ground beef (or sometimes ground turkey), put it in a bowl, and mix it up with a little worcestershire sauce before I make the patties. If the meat falls apart while you are making your patties, you probably put a little too much sauce in. No problem - adding low fat bread crumbs or crushed fat-free croutons will hold your burger together. (Seasoned croutons taste great in a burger! 
)
You could even try different things on the grill. Why stick with beef? There's so many other options: Pork, poultry, and fish. Why not flavor your meat with a dry rub - it will add tons of flavor without adding fat. Here are some dry rubs that can be used for pork, beef, chicken, fish, or even tofu:
All-American Barbeque Rub
2 tablespoons mild paprika
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar (I use the Splenda hybrid)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
All-American Barbeque Rub
1/4 cup chile powder
1/4 cup mild paprika
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Southwestern Rub
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon mild paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons salt
Jerk Rub
1/4 cup dried crushed rosemary
1/4 cup dried thyme
2 tablespoons dry mustard
4 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon cayenne
Curry Rub
3 tablespoons yellow curry powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon mild paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Szechwan Pepper Salt
2 tablespoons coarse-grained or kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground Szechwan peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
What To Do:
Use the best spices you can find. Only freshly ground black pepper, please.
Dried herbs have a shelf-life, usually about a year. Don't use dried spices that have taken on a bland, tea-like smell.
To grind Szechwan peppercorns and the like, use a cleaned-out coffee grinder, a mini food processor, or a spice grinder.
Use between 1/2 tablespoon and 1 tablespoon per cut, whether steak, fish or chicken thighs.
Now, how do you get it to stick? Rub each cut with about 1 teaspoon unsweetened apple juice, lemon juice, cranberry juice, balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar. Pat the rub in place to make a thin coating on all sides and you're ready to roll.
For a deeper taste, coat with the rub, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
After that, you're ready to roll. Fire up the grill and cook the meat, fish or tofu until done.
These rub recipes make a lot, more than you'll need. Cover the rest in a tight-fitting jar for the next time you're over the heat.
)You could even try different things on the grill. Why stick with beef? There's so many other options: Pork, poultry, and fish. Why not flavor your meat with a dry rub - it will add tons of flavor without adding fat. Here are some dry rubs that can be used for pork, beef, chicken, fish, or even tofu:
All-American Barbeque Rub
2 tablespoons mild paprika
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar (I use the Splenda hybrid)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
All-American Barbeque Rub
1/4 cup chile powder
1/4 cup mild paprika
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Southwestern Rub
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon mild paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons salt
Jerk Rub
1/4 cup dried crushed rosemary
1/4 cup dried thyme
2 tablespoons dry mustard
4 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon cayenne
Curry Rub
3 tablespoons yellow curry powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon mild paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Szechwan Pepper Salt
2 tablespoons coarse-grained or kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground Szechwan peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
What To Do:
Use the best spices you can find. Only freshly ground black pepper, please.
Dried herbs have a shelf-life, usually about a year. Don't use dried spices that have taken on a bland, tea-like smell.
To grind Szechwan peppercorns and the like, use a cleaned-out coffee grinder, a mini food processor, or a spice grinder.
Use between 1/2 tablespoon and 1 tablespoon per cut, whether steak, fish or chicken thighs.
Now, how do you get it to stick? Rub each cut with about 1 teaspoon unsweetened apple juice, lemon juice, cranberry juice, balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar. Pat the rub in place to make a thin coating on all sides and you're ready to roll.
For a deeper taste, coat with the rub, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
After that, you're ready to roll. Fire up the grill and cook the meat, fish or tofu until done.
These rub recipes make a lot, more than you'll need. Cover the rest in a tight-fitting jar for the next time you're over the heat.
