Food - Drink
Tim Love’s Mole-Inspired Dry Rub Only Needs 2 Ingredients
By MICHELLE WELSCH
Instead of a multi-spice blend made from a variety of seasonings, grill master chef Tim Love’s go-to dry rub uses two common ingredients. His recipe is especially impressive because it's inspired by mole, a rich Mexican sauce that often calls for tons and tons of ingredients, and Love's dry rub manages to deliver mole flavors in a snap.
Love told Food & Wine he makes his own dry rub using cocoa and powdered chiles, two flavorings you might already have in your kitchen. The rich sweetness of the cocoa paired with the sharp heat of the peppers will lend a perfectly balanced sweet, spicy, and smoky flavor to grilled and seared pork chops, chicken, and fish.
When Love is cooking for guests and wants a perfectly browned and crispy exterior on meat, he covers it with a light sugar rub and uses low heat to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn on the skin of the protein. Serve your mole-spiced main with grilled corn and avocado chips, and you have a feast that doesn't require a ton of spice shopping.