The Border Table · Source Edition
Texas Dry Rub
Four pantry seasonings, mixed once and applied sparingly to steak.
The owner’s short 2021 dry-rub formula, with no invented spice additions.
Cook it
The owner’s short 2021 dry-rub formula, with no invented spice additions.
- Mix. Combine the salt, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder in a dry bowl. Stir thoroughly until the color is even.
- Season. The archived directions suggest about ½ teaspoon of the mixture on each side of a steak. Apply evenly and cook the steak using the method in your chosen recipe.
- Store. Keep any unused rub in a clean, tightly closed container away from heat and moisture. Do not put seasoning that has touched raw meat back into the storage jar.
Serve it
Use with skirt steak or another cut that will be grilled promptly. Because the mix already contains considerable salt, taste other components of the meal before adding more.
Understand it
What makes this version work
This blend is salt-forward: three tablespoons of salt sit beside a quarter cup of chili powder. Measure the application as carefully as the blend. Chili powders vary in chile mix and salt content, so read the package; the original recipe does not specify a brand. A dry bowl and spoon help the powders mix without clumping.
Know it
The recorded recipe and its place at the table
The four-ingredient ratio is documented in the owner’s 2021 archive. The archive does not establish when this exact blend was first made or whether it belongs to a named regional tradition. Dry seasoning is one part of the broader Texas grill table, and this page keeps its scope modest: it gives you the recorded blend and a practical way to use it. No separate claim of a historic Texas rub formula is made.
Sources and method
About this version
The ingredient proportions and core method come from the owner’s 2021 Authentic Tex-Mex Recipes card. The Border Table has clarified the instructions for readers without claiming an undocumented inventor or origin for the exact formula. The external source gives broader culinary context; it does not authenticate the owner’s private recipe.
- Texas State Historical Association, Tex-Mex Foods.
- FoodSafety.gov, Four Steps to Food Safety — refrigeration and safe handling guidance where relevant.
See our corrections policy to suggest an update.
