some menu advice

[irish_smoker]

Wanted to get some ideas from you guys.  A friend of mine is on a very strict diet because of an illness and is not allowed to take in much sodium per day.  Therefore, he hasn't been able to enjoy very much out of the BS...but he has had to listen to his wife tell him how good everything is!

Just wondering if any of you have some good recipes that are very low in sodium, both in the meat and rub/sauce that I could make for him?

Thanks.

[whitetailfan]

Irish,
Do a search for sodium, or low sodium.  I don't have time to get you a link right now, but this has been discussed by some of our members.

Also click on Oldman's Bradley picture, it links you to his recipe site and there may be some health recipes there.

Sorry for no direct help. :-[

[Habanero Smoker]

You can use any rub recipe and reduce or eliminate the salt. You need to remember that salt enhances flavor, so if you remove salt you should add some cayenne pepper if the recipe doesn't already contain that ingredient. Also I would apply a salt free or low salt rub at least the night before. When appling rub to poultry, make sure you also apply the rub under the skin.

The following recipes are from Cook's Illustrated except for the Greek seasoning recipe. The directions are basically the same for all; blend well and store in an airtight container. Apply as you would any rub. The only ones that I have used are marked in red, and they were both good rubs.

Simple Barbecue Rub (1 cup; good for brisket, ribs, butts)
½ C. Sweet Paprika
2 Tbl. ground cumin
2 Tbl. mild chili powder
2 Tbl. ground black pepper
2 Tbl. dark brown sugar (optional)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. cloves

Basic Spice Rub for Pork
1 Tbl. ground cumin
1 Tbl. mild chili powder (use hot chili powder for more heat)
1 Tbl. curry powder
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Pantry Spice Rub for Poultry
2 Tbl. ground cumin
2 Tbl. mild chili powder
2 Tbl. curry powder
1 Tbl. ground black pepper
1 Tbl. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Greek Seasoning Blend Spice Mix Recipe
This rub can also be used with steaks, pork chops, chicken, or fish.
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 ½  tsp. onion powder
1 ½  tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil 
½  tsp. ground cinnamon
½  tsp. ground nutmeg
(optional)
   1 tsp. beef-flavored bouillon granules
   1 tsp. salt

[TomG]

Hab, thanks for the post. What is the shelf life of rubs in airtight containers?

[Habanero Smoker]

If stored properly; in a dry, cool, dark area in your cupboard, I would say the self life would be at least six months. I'll confess, I've used spices and herbs that were more than a year old, without any significant deterioration of flavor.

I came across this rub blend while on the FoodNetwork, Canadian website.

Brisket Rub
Rob Rainford
1 (6 pound) fresh beef brisket with a nice fat cap (2.72kg)
1/4 cup brown sugar (60ml)
2 teaspoons paprika (10ml)
2 teaspoons chili powder (10ml)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (5ml)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (5ml)
2 teaspoons onion powder (10ml)
2 teaspoons dry thyme (10ml)
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper (10ml)
1 tablespoon fine espresso powder (15ml)

[irish_smoker]

Thanks a lot for your help, I will give these a test run this week and let you know the results. 

Thanks again.