I was recently given the chance to try out Char Crust dry rub seasonings in four different flavors: Roasted Garlic Peppercorn, All American Barbecue, Ginger Teriyaki and Amazin’ Cajun. Each rub is designed to be used on beef, pork, chicken, fish and even vegetables. Each Char Crust seasoning is easy to use — just rub them on the meat or sprinkle some over the veggies of your choice.
First, I tried the Roasted Garlic Peppercorn rub on a beef roast. It turned out awesome! The rub sealed in the juices, so even though I slightly overcooked the meat (oops) it didn’t dry out. The garlic and onions in the seasoning gave the meat extra flavor, while the peppercorns and bit of Worcestershire sauce included in the rub gave it little spiciness. You can see the yummy flavoring baked onto the roast in the picture below:
And of course I had to try one out on my favorite food — chicken. The American Barbecue Char Crust rub was perfect for these chicken leg quarters. All that I had to do was rub it on the outside and pop them in the oven. Unlike the roast, I made sure not overcook it this time. 
The meat of the chicken was good, but the best part was the skin with the slightly spicy, smoky and tangy rub crusted on it. I can’t wait to try this out on a BBQ grill once the weather improves.
Now I’m after my husband to catch some trout so that I can try out the Ginger Teriyaki rub on it.
And speaking of fish, here’s a recipe, courtesy of Char Crust:
Pan-Seared Tilapia
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: about 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Tilapia fillets — about 6 oz per person
Char Crust® Amazin’ Cajun — about 1/2 Tbsp per fillet
A little oil, canola is good
A little butter (optional), at room temperature
Heat a cast iron pan on the stove until very hot. Season one side of the fish with Char Crust® Amazin’ Cajun Dry Rub Seasoning, generously covering the surface. Drizzle a little oil all over the seasonings, using your fingers to rub in and distribute evenly. Seasonings will look moist and darken a bit. Place the fish, seasoned side down, into the pan. It should sizzle immediately, and you may get some smoke. Cook a few minutes until just cooked through. Transfer to plate with seasoned side up and place pat of butter on top.
Option: We actually prefer this recipe with catfish, but tilapia seems to have more fans. (I agree with them on the catfish. Mmmmm…)
For more information on Char Crust seasonings, check out their Facebook page.
Now for the best part — the giveaway! Thanks to the awesome people at Char Crust dry rub seasonings, one lucky winner (United States residents only – sorry) will receive one box of each seasoning: Roasted Garlic Peppercorn, All American Barbecue, Ginger Teriyaki and Amazin’ Cajun. Leave a comment below with your first name, a valid email address (so I can contact you to get your shipping info) and your favorite thing to BBQ. The contest ends next Thursday, April 12th at 5pm eastern time. The winner will be chosen via Random.org. Good luck!
(Disclaimer – I received the Char Crust dry rub seasonings from the manufacturer (in exchange for an honest review), and they are also providing the seasonings for my giveaway. For further information, please see my disclosure policy.)
