There's the Rub

Ok, I can't say that celebrity chef Mario Batali is a bloated alcoholic because I've not met him yet and can't prove it. I also can't say that his buddy Michael Stipe from R.E.M. is a wicked bad tipper, because he's never personally tipped me. That unsaid, I'd like to share with you what looks like a great Batali dry rub recipe for grilling meat (or vegetables) from one of the pages I stole from one of the magazines at the doctor's office.

Bloated Batali Dry Rub Mix

This can be made in advance: salt, sugar, black pepper, thyme, ancho chiles and rosemary. Grind it up in a coffee grinder. Rub it on the meat to be grilled four hours in advance, and the seasoning and tenderizing effect is amazing; it acts almost like curing. That, and remember why your grill comes with a lid--to get the smoke effect and let you cook things slower.