Rub and bark There are basically 3 types of unavoidable and traditional Rub spice blends, which are indispensable and rooted in the deepest traditions. The classic and original Salt&Pepper, which in its monochrome simplicity gives the most sophisticated and unmistakable flavors. Well, it is difficult to imagine the Texas BBQ experience without S&P. However, as simple as it is, since it consists of two basic ingredients, it does not matter in terms of taste and proportions what ingredients we work with. Current American culture, including everyday deli food, swears by the flake or large-grained crystalline form of salt. This is okay, because being a dry rub, it is important that the salt, in the form of four-grained or flake form, dissolves slowly and gradually during the entire smoking session. The small-grained ground, which is basically seasoning salt, is not really suitable for this process. Initially, coarse or coarsely ground, rather cracked rock salt was used, with its, let's say, not snow-white color, which of course didn't bother anyone in those years. Then, gradually, based on aesthetic and taste balancing considerations, sea salt began to infiltrate the rub culture, with its snow-white color and characteristic taste, or rather flavor tone. Yes, exactly, today the most fashionable salt ingredient is the Kosher type of Israeli salt. What about the second ingredient, the S&P P? This can only be coarsely ground, more like crushed black pepper. There really can't be and is a compromise here, the ground, fine-grained version cannot provide the kind of role and end result that a normal 8-10-12 hour smoking requires and, let's face it, expects. The next basic and in its simplicity, the follower of the S&P is the Chili in That, spicy, but at the same time giving and leaving the original traditional flavor, a S&P, Chili fusion. Here, the previously outlined S&P backstage secrets and traditions strictly require the chunky, rustic texture of the chili flakes, where the chili seed also counts and is part of the rub. In other words, Chili in That is nothing more than the classic base S&P mixture, fused with all the properties of the Chili flakes, of course, in the right proportion. The third and undoubtedly the most refined in its complexity is the News Paper-like rub, a spice blend. We have also reached a point that cannot be missed and bypassed if someone is looking for and trying to achieve traditional Texas flavors. News Paper is nothing more than a mixture of various peppers, namely Green, black, white and red pepper, and its appropriate proportion of salt and chili ingredients. In fact, the pepper, peppery character dominates here and is actually high, while the spiciness of the chili properly connects and harmonizes the taste orgy of the various pepper varieties, while the salt, like a conductor, creates appropriate music from the mass of flavors. A few notes about salt. The salt used in the recipe is neither Kosher nor is it a simple flake or coarse rock salt. After much reflection and no less experimentation, taking into account the Texas traditions of BBQ, its written and unwritten rules, no less Europeanness and the principles of adaptation and development, the saltiness of the rubs I mix is a marriage of two types of salt. Prajdi rock salt, of course coarsely ground, and a Sovata sea salt, also in coarsely broken grains. Thus, we paid tribute to tradition, coarse-grained rock salt from Prajdi, with its inimitable ingredients and flavor, no less grayish color, and we also sacrifice on the altar of current trends, Sovata Tenfer coarse salt, with its snow-white color and tones characteristic of sea salt.