Work out seasoning and rub amounts per pound of meat.
Seasoning scales with weight, and the two components scale for different reasons. Rub volume covers surface area, and since a larger cut has proportionally less surface than a small one, the conventional tablespoon to tablespoon-and-a-half per pound is generous for big roasts and about right for smaller pieces. Salt is different: it penetrates and seasons throughout, so it is dosed as a percentage of weight, and the well-established range is 0.75 to 1.5 percent — around one percent for most meat, up to 1.5 for a long brine or cure. Because salt is measured by weight rather than volume, grams matter: a teaspoon of fine table salt weighs nearly twice a teaspoon of flaky sea salt, which is why recipes calling for volume go wrong.
Rub volume and salt by weight
Rub = weight in lb x tablespoons per lb; cups = tablespoons / 16; salt in grams = weight in lb x 453.592 x salt percent / 100; binder = weight in lb x teaspoons per lb
Seasoning guidance only. Sodium intake matters medically for people managing blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure — 1.2% of meat weight is a substantial sodium load. Follow dietary advice from a qualified professional where salt is restricted, and observe safe handling and cooking temperatures for raw meat.
Because crystal size changes the density enormously. A tablespoon of fine table salt holds roughly 18 g while the same spoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt holds about 10 g — nearly double the seasoning for the same measure.
For salt to penetrate, at least an hour per inch of thickness and ideally overnight in the refrigerator. Sugar-heavy rubs are better applied closer to cooking, since they draw moisture and can scorch.
It is at the top of the range and suits thick barbecue cuts where much of the rub stays on the bark. For thin cuts or anything served with a salty sauce, stay nearer 0.75-1%.