OT: BBQ Rub do you make your own or purchase? | The Boneyard

OT: BBQ Rub do you make your own or purchase?

Kitaman

Kitaman

Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
17,162
Reaction Score
36,259
Do you have a favorite rub? If you make, what's your recipe?

I'm lazy and use this bad boy for my meats, but am open to try something new.

1623245131970.png
 
I feel like there are so many good ones out there that it really doesn't make sense to make your own unless you want to do something really out of bounds. For a standard pork shoulder or rack of ribs, I'm not sure it makes that noticeable a difference.
 
Make my own but from a recipe that I found online. Sauce is a different story. Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy is the flavor of the day, but I've used Mr. Stubbs and various others as well.

My rub for pork and poultry (works well on beef too) is roughly this:
  • 1 tbsp unrefined sea salt
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp onion flakes
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup organic turbinado cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup paprika
 
Last edited:
If you’ve got salt, pepper, brown sugar you are 80% of the way there. Husky25’s looks great. I like a few dried herbs like oregano. Old Bay plays quiet well. Mix and match and if you’ve got salty and sweet you can’t get too wrong.
 
I use my own and will also modify some off the shelf rubs -- been doing a lot of the former lately as my stomach doesn't handle onion well as I age. For sauce, I mostly use Dreamland. For chicken I make a homemade Alabama white sauce.
 
I make my own usually. Helps go through all the spices in the cabinet more quickly and I can adjust according to whatever protein I'm using. You can also find knockoff recipes on the interwebs for some of the popular rubs out there, and I've done that. I used to sell a blend that included ground espresso at the farmer's market when I had a coffee stand there. It was quite popular to point where I'd get requests after I stopped doing the stand.
 
.-.
A BBQ Rub sounds like it stings but I'll give a try :)
 
I buy them, but I think I'm going to stop doing that. Both my wife and I are very sensitive to garlic and onions. I buy rubs with those far down the list, but really want to get that to zero.
 
Deepster said:
I feel like there are so many good ones out there that it really doesn't make sense to make your own unless you want to do something really out of bounds. For a standard pork shoulder or rack of ribs, I'm not sure it makes that noticeable a difference.
Expand ...


Ill tell you why.

Salt.

Store bought rubs all have salt, no doubt some are really tasty. But they should start selling them in a 2 pack, salt separate from rest of spices.


You should not have rubs with salt in it for things like Brisket, pork shoulder , Ribs, etc..... Salt should be used on its own first as a Dry brine either overnight or a few hours ...... and only then right before your stuff goes on comes the rub, without salt.

Salt penetrates. Spices dont.
 
August_West said:
Ill tell you why.

Salt.

Store bought rubs all have salt, no doubt some are really tasty. But they should start selling them in a 2 pack, salt separate from rest of spices.


You should not have rubs with salt in it for things like Brisket, pork shoulder , Ribs, etc..... Salt should be used on its own first as a Dry brine either overnight or a few hours ...... and only then right before your stuff goes on comes the rub, without salt.

Salt penetrates. Spices dont.
Expand ...
Spoken right from the church of meathead.

But I’m lazy and just throw the rub (with salt) on it before letting it rest in fridge for 24 hours.
 
Not sure why you wouldn't make your own, it so easy and can be done with things you probably have in your pantry and will be cheaper. I throw stuff together from a list of: black pepper, white pepper, mustard, coriander, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, cayenne or other chili powders. And salt. Not sure where the no salt approach is coming from but I have spent many Memphis in May competitions hanging out with professional teams and they all put salt in their rubs. Including the winners. That holds true for ribs, shoulder, etc....

update edit: I should add, all the competition teams put the rub on right before cooking and at least one has specifically said they don't want salt on there ahead of time because it will make the pork "hammy". Plenty of fat in something like a pork shoulder that it shouldn't need any brining and they all inject anyway. But different strokes and all...
 
Last edited:
.-.
Im exclusive to my boy’s rubs. A full line up. Tony’s Smokin Again. The covfefe rub is off the charts. There’s also a no salt, a jamaican, seafood, smoky paprika, everything bagel and a couple others coming out soon. He’s in local grocery stores as well as Bogner’s hun.

www.etsy.com

TonysSmokinAgain - Etsy

Shop Versatile craft seasonings. From meat to veggies! by TonysSmokinAgain. Top shop for gifts. Buyers bought gifts from this shop and gave them 5-star reviews!.
www.etsy.com www.etsy.com
 
Last edited:
Husky25 said:
Make my own but from a recipe that I found online. Sauce is a different story. Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy is the flavor of the day, but I've used Mr. Stubbs and various others as well.

My rub for pork and poultry (works well on beef too) is roughly this:
  • 1 tbsp unrefined sea salt
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp onion flakes
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup organic turbinado cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup paprika
Expand ...
This is pretty close to mine. No onion flakes, brown sugar and tsp of cinnamon.
 
August_West said:
Ill tell you why.

Salt.

Store bought rubs all have salt, no doubt some are really tasty. But they should start selling them in a 2 pack, salt separate from rest of spices.


You should not have rubs with salt in it for things like Brisket, pork shoulder , Ribs, etc..... Salt should be used on its own first as a Dry brine either overnight or a few hours ...... and only then right before your stuff goes on comes the rub, without salt.

Salt penetrates. Spices dont.
Expand ...
Says the guy who paid a thousand dollars for a bushel of sticks. Nonsense. Every recipe in this thread has salt in it.
 
I just follow my man Guga’s recipe

1/4 Cup Salt
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Smoked Paprika
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Onion Powder
1 tbsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cinnamon
 
Deepster said:
Says the guy who paid a thousand dollars for a bushel of sticks. Nonsense. Every recipe in this thread has salt in it.
Expand ...
Of course they do. If you could read like a 3rd grader you would see that salt and rub have 2 different uses. You are a smart guy and a good cook. They both go on . Just at separate times. Try it my way once. Get back to me .
 
CTMike said:
Use this quite a bit too.
amazingribs.com

Memphis Dust Rub Recipe

This popular Memphis dust bbq dry rub recipe is the only seasoning blend you'll ever need for pork, chicken, fish, beef, and veggies.
amazingribs.com
Expand ...
This recipe specifically recommends, and discusses the reasoning & purpose for salting in advance, as well as not having salt as an ingredient in a rub.

What combination of hubris and insecurity would lead someone to nonetheless post that every recipe in this thread has salt, and further claim that it was "nonsense" to make a recommendation against it?

I don't doubt that many rubs with salt produce satisfactory results, but if somebody offers an informed alternative point of view, a dismissive and heavy-handed emotions-based jab strikes me as a weak rebuttal.

I'm interested to learn whether the invitation to try things in the way suggested here (or by the person who directly extended the invitation elsewhere) will be accepted, and if results will be maturely and sincerely reported. I suspect this read on able challenge will be ignored.
 
.-.
UC313 said:
Im exclusive to my boy’s rubs. A full line up. Tony’s Smokin Again. The covfefe rub is off the charts. There’s also a no salt, a jamaican, seafood, smoky paprika, everything bagel and a couple others coming out soon. He’s in local grocery stores as well as Bogner’s hun.

www.etsy.com

TonysSmokinAgain - Etsy

Shop Versatile craft seasonings. From meat to veggies! by TonysSmokinAgain. Top shop for gifts. Buyers bought gifts from this shop and gave them 5-star reviews!.
www.etsy.com www.etsy.com
Expand ...

I like the idea of this. But I don't like that I can't see an ingredient list.
 
HuskyHawk said:
I like the idea of this. But I don't like that I can't see an ingredient list.
Expand ...

Thats a heck of a point. Im going to let him know to show the backside with the ingredient list right now.

If theres one in particular youre looking at let me know. Ill gladly post it for you here.
 
I recently bought a rub and added brown sugar and smoked paprika. Ribs came out great. Im a novice but i like to experiment. Ive done rubs from scratch also as others have correctly said they are pretty simple and give you far more control over flavor and salt content.
 
UC313 said:
Thats a heck of a point. Im going to let him know to show the backside with the ingredient list right now.

If theres one in particular youre looking at let me know. Ill gladly post it for you here.
Expand ...

Both Covfefe and Smoke Que Up looked interesting. I’m basically lazy, so if I can avoid making my own and still not buy the mass produced stuff, I’d go that way.
 
CTMike said:
Use this quite a bit too.
amazingribs.com

Memphis Dust Rub Recipe

This popular Memphis dust bbq dry rub recipe is the only seasoning blend you'll ever need for pork, chicken, fish, beef, and veggies.
amazingribs.com
Expand ...
Thanks for this link!

I understand posters argument/science of salt rub and no salt rub. But to be honest if I'm at a BBQ and the meats taste spectacular, do I even care if there was salt in the rub. Not sure if I can even taste the difference.

So now that I am better informed will I change? I doubt it, although I will be more conscientious especially when making my own. I used to smoke cigarettes and the warning labels were on every pack.

But to me BBQ is more about taste, gluttony, smell and skill. Food is either delicious, acceptable or bad.
 
Husky25 said:
Make my own but from a recipe that I found online. Sauce is a different story. Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy is the flavor of the day, but I've used Mr. Stubbs and various others as well.

My rub for pork and poultry (works well on beef too) is roughly this:
  • 1 tbsp unrefined sea salt
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp onion flakes
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup organic turbinado cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup paprika
Expand ...
Nice. I smoke meats once a week (so trial and error has been a way of life for me) and the only distinctly addition thing I do is brining and cumin. It’s very personal but, I have tested countless mixtures - and I taste and respond to what others like. Cumin adds another unique smokiness that might be worth a try. I’m also a regular hickory user. Although, other woods are terrific as well. I’m a huge fan of electric smokers as temperature is everything with any protein. I also rack it up for a fat drip with kielbasa or a fatty meat. Temp varies between 215-225 depending on the protein and desired finishing time. I have hard smoked for short times and finished it in the oven at a lower temp. So much to learn and try... I’m brining in apple juice with salt this week. I’m a huge fan of brown sugar glazed on ribs. Also going to try something with a brisket flat that might be interesting. Fun stuff...
 
.-.
Citrusdog said:
Nice. I smoke meats once a week (so trial and error has been a way of life for me) and the only distinctly addition thing I do is brining and cumin. It’s very personal but, I have tested countless mixtures - and I taste and respond to what others like. Cumin adds another unique smokiness that might be worth a try. I’m also a regular hickory user. Although, other woods are terrific as well. I’m a huge fan of electric smokers as temperature is everything with any protein. I also rack it up for a fat drip with kielbasa or a fatty meat. Temp varies between 215-225 depending on the protein and desired finishing time. I have hard smoked for short times and finished it in the oven at a lower temp. So much to learn and try... I’m brining in apple juice with salt this week. I’m a huge fan of brown sugar glazed on ribs. Also going to try something with a brisket flat that might be interesting. Fun stuff...
Expand ...
My experience, along with others who smoke regularly, is that people are timid with salt. Additionally, sugars caramelize which can create a nice shell outside of the smoke ring - so it needs careful attention to how, when and where. Brown sugar is just molasses and white sugar so use and time it right. Endless possibilities preparing and eating animal flesh. Mmmm...
 
I make 'em and have several on hand. Over the last year, built up a significant batch of spices from JobLot (because I'm cheap and you can get a good sized bottle of anything for a dollar). I grill probably 75% of all dinner food now and using lots of spices and olive oil. Have three rubs that I made/use enough so that I printed the recipes and taped 'em onto the spice bottles. One's a cajun creole (that I put on everything from eggs to sandwiches to vegetable), another a sweet rub with brown sugar (and salt and other stuff) and a copycat Montreal Steak seasoning.

I'm guessing these may not be top flight chef spices (JobLot), but wondering how much difference that makes?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,215
Messages
4,557,558
Members
10,442
Latest member
StatsMan


Top Bottom