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Smoked Tea Rub
Since we started carrying teas at the beginning of 2014 we've become quite fascinated not only in consuming tea as a beverage but we've also been looking for ways to incorporate tea into some of our recipes. Certainly tea flavored food is not unheard of - we've come across a tea smoked duck, green tea ice cream and in Bejiing there's a restaurant called Green Tea that has a well earned reputation for their signature dish Tea Roasted Pork Belly. They routinely have a line of customers to get into the restaurant and the waiting listing is often several hours long.Tea when added to a seasoning rub provides an aromatic flavor to a wide range of dishes.
In this country if you're serious about backyard grilling and smoking you've probably experimented with several different types of wood and you know that each imparts its own subtle flavor complexities to meat and vegetables. In the past 5 years home and professional chefs have also become fascinated with using a variety of smoked salts, peppers, chiles and spices to add sophisticated flavor to their dishes as well. You might be surprised at how amazing the flavor can be when a smoked tea is added to a rub.
Using Tea in Cooking
In this country we've slowly gained knowledge over the past 50 years or so on how different growing regions can affect the flavor of wine. Tea is no different and different areas produce different flavored teas. Tea has evolved over the centuries, especially in China and Japan, where local teas have been used in specific dishes which become ingrained in the local cuisine. Cooking with tea is a natural extension for us in this country and adds new aromas as well enhancing the dishes flavors. Tea also compliments most ingredients and spices. Think of using tea in a rub more like adding a dried herb.About the Tea
The tea we chose for this rub is Lapsang Souchong. This brash, aromatic, strongly flavored black tea gets its character from real smoke. While most teas go through a natural drying process (i.e. laid out to air dry), Lapsang Souchong is essentially force dried by wood fire. During this "campfire" process its the leaves are withered over pine wood or sometimes cypress wood before pan-firing and rolling. The tea leaves are then expertly stored to allow them to ferment. After fermentation they are fired again. The end result is more smoky than woody.How to Use
We originally created this rub to use on a roasted pork loin but have since used it on oven cooked ribs, chicken, seafood, steak and vegetables. Based on what we've tried so far I think that the flavor would also lend itself to wild game as well.What's in It
Hand blended from granulated molasses, sea salt, Lapsong Souchong tea, demerara sugar, sesame seeds, paprika, garlic, black pepper, fennel, rosemary and marjoram.Flavor Profile
A rich deep sweetness with strong but not overpowering smokiness and subtle herby notesHelpful Hints
If you're a fan of trying new and bold flavors then you may want to check out our Espresso Rub, Cacao Chili Rub and Adobo Lime Rub.Use 1 tablespoon of Smoked Tea Rub per lb of meat. As with any rub or seasoning that you're using the first time we always recommend starting off with a bit less as you can always more if you want additional flavor. In our opinion there's nothing worse than overpowering a dish with seasoning.
Some of our favorite recipes using our Smoked Tea Rub are Stuffed Pork Loin Roast with Smoked Tea Rub and Grilled Portabella Mushroom Burgers.
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