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Here is a chance to exercise your creativity. Dry rubs can be varied endlessly. And it's fun. You will feel a little like a scientist in a laboratory. If you're feeling creative, begin by using teaspoonfuls, rather than the tablespoonfuls called for in our dry rub recipe. Once you come up with your perfect formula (write it down so you don' forget what and how much you have used), you can make a large batch using the same proportions. But if this is your first experience with making a dry rub, you can't go far wrong by using this recipe just as it is written.

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground oregano
• 4 tablespoon paprika (the sweet kind -- not the hot kind)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon celery salt
• 1 tablespoon salt

Thoroughly combine all ingredients. Rub mixture into the meat, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Store leftover mixture in an airtight jar or in freezer.

Readers also clicked through to these recipes in Grandma's Cookbook:

• Texas Oven Brisket
• Julia's Brisket
• Cowboy Brisket

Read John Raven's classic barbecue seminar:

• Barbecue 101
• Barbecue 102: Grilling
• Barbecue 103: The Real Thing
• Brisket from B to T

Find a wealth of information about barbecue, grilling, briskets, chili and other traditional Texas foods. Read our continuously updated section Traditional Texas Fare for a complete listing of John Raven's articles.

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