You may have come close if you have been trying to rub your butt and you are finding that it is more like finger painting. To bust the myth, I am sad to say that the rub is more of a term than an actual physical activity. As you have probably noticed your efforts to "rub" the meat only makes a mess and pushes the ingredients around and not leaving the meat coated very well. To reach your goal of coating your meat thoroughly it is best done with moisture on the meat catching the falling dry ingredients and some gentle pressure from your fingers to help apply the powder to the moist areas. Another secret to the RUB is mustard. That's right, plain old mustard. You can apply mustard quite liberally to the meat as it will adhere to the meat and provide a moist base for your rub ingredients. Not to worry, during the cooking process the mustard cooks off & blends in quite nicely. You will not be able to taste it at all. The mustard, in a small way will also help build the layer of crust that you desire.