The Mad Cuban whips up delicious Memorial Day cuisine with cultural exploration

World class chef and "Mad Cuban" Carl Ruiz joined Mike Opelka on "Pure Opelka" Friday to help you spice up your Memorial Day with delicious grill fare.

Ruiz is head chef of Marie's Deli in New Jersey and makes frequent appearances on the Food Network. He is therefore more than qualified to help you bring your A game to your Memorial Day barbecue.

He recommends you use fresh, moist brown sugar for your rub so it doesn't fall off your meat. The basics are best; he said Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, uses only salt. He also said to test your rub on a piece of buttered toast before you try it on an expensive piece of meat.

He advises having something else on hand to eat, just in case your grilling efforts end in disaster. Grocery store roasted chickens can be dressed up with fajita fixings.

This led to a brief discussion of the Portland burrito business that had to close because it was accused of cultural appropriation. As a chef working 14 hour days, Ruiz said he doesn't have time for such issues.

Ruiz said most chefs thinks globally when looking at ingredients and flavors. He has taught his 11 year old son about different cultures via food. When he meets kids from other countries, they always have something to talk about.

To see more from Mike, visit his channel on TheBlaze and listen live to “Pure Opelka” weekdays 7–10 p.m. ET & Saturdays 6–9 a.m. ET, only on TheBlaze Radio Network.