Best BBQ Chicken Rub

It's summer time, the weather is getting warmer, and it's time to get outdoors and start grilling. That means, shrimp, chicken and steak on the "baarbee"!

My obsessive-compulsive desire to control all the ingredients that go into my food led me shun prepackaged, premixed barbecue rubs and to concoct my own spicy, flavorful spice rub that can be used on anything and everything. If you can grill it, you can use this rub.

Since using it on chicken gets the most thumbs up around my house, I just call it my chicken rub. I don't measure anything - I just eyeball and check for coloring and texture of the mix. Here is what goes in it:

• Kosher salt
• Fresh coarsely cracked black pepper
• Granulated garlic
• Cayenne pepper
• Paprika
• Onion powder
• Dried oregano

That's it! Combine all the ingredients together until it has a nice reddish tint and a salty, spicy aroma. Add a little more of any spice ingredient that you love most. Then, prep your chicken by placing it in a casserole dish, and drizzling a little bit of olive oil over the top and bottom of each piece. Sprinkle the spice mix generously over each piece and rub in all the nooks and crannies. Lift up the skin and put some directly on the meat. Cover the meat with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours.

When you are ready to grill, preheat your barbecue so that you get a sizzle when you put the meat on. This recipe will work fine on either a gas or charcoal grill.

This is a great do-ahead prep dish. The longer it soaks in the spice, the better it will taste. Yum! Super easy, super good. No fat, no drips, no messy fingertips.

Good luck - let me know what you think!