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My lesson Learned in BBQ Rubs Home made vs Commercially made

I have a thing about trying to figure out different commercial rubs at home and I figured out one of the most popular ones here but nope outta respect for this man and his great product I can't divulge it. I will say it's from Maryland. I take the ingredients and break them down till I find what's right. It's pricey but it's an expensive hobby I have. My lips are zipped.
 
i don't think i could make better rubs than the ones from simply marvelous, dizzy pig, 3eyez, the rub co., plowboys, etc.... i'll combine rubs, add sugar, add salt, add pepper, but i always start out with a commercial rub.
 
Different strokes.... I like playing with my food ergo I mix my own. Mad Man thank that young man for me I wish him well on his "Adventure" I know your proud of him.
 
WineMaster said:
How about the rub used by the # 1 Team in the nation. 3 Eyz Rub. Says something when you can use what the best are using.
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I'd wager a good sum that what is in the bottle you get aint the same as what they use you really think Paul Newman used that crap that is in that bottle... I got some Ocean front property in AZ I can let you have below market price.

Look, If I develop a flavor profile that wins on a steady basis I can make a whole new rub just not as good and put it in a bottle and sell it as my brand. Others will buy it thinking ts the same and looking for my success. Increasing my bottom line and swing the odds for a GC in my favor, and that is a WIN.
 
I use a mix of both commercial rubs and home made. I have not found a commercial rub that touches the rib rub I use. Although I really like Fast Eddy rub on my grilled food. And Famous Dave's Chickn' Wing rub on my chicken wings. Then there's the Blazin' Blends Zesty Seasoned Salt that I get from the Dollar Tree that I love on grilled veggies and steaks.
 
Making my own rubs is part of the fun for me. I'm not selling bbq so I don't have to worry about consistency. I don't do comps so it is not an issue there either.

I'm seasoned enough now as a BBQ'er that even when I make a rub I don't particularly like. The Q is still very good. But to each his own. We is all differents!!! :thumb:
 
Bludawg said:
I'd wager a good sum that what is in the bottle you get aint the same as what they use you really think Paul Newman used that crap that is in that bottle... I got some Ocean front property in AZ I can let you have below market price.
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Whaaaaacccchhhaaaaa! I was thinking the same thing. It's called maketing and people do it. Nicholas cage got it right in conair! "sorry boss, there's 2 people in this world I trust. Ones me and the others not you."
 
Simply marvelous turns out the best food at my house. Sometimes I do something cheaper or somehow different and I always regret it. When steph starts selling stock I will be buying.
 
IamMadMan said:
I will probably have some opposition here, but in the end I think it is best to leave the rubs to the professional suppliers. They buy in extreme bulk at discounts, they have professional mixing and measuring equipment. In the end they have the quality control labs to provide you with a consistent product that will not change from cook to cook.
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I'm pretty sure I remember reading that Myron Mixon said that at one of his classes- if you're gonna buy one and make the other, buy the rub.
 
deepsouth said:
i don't think i could make better rubs than the ones from simply marvelous, dizzy pig, 3eyez, the rub co., plowboys, etc....
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I really like SM rubs, but they're a little sweet for my tastes (except for peppered cow and season all). My personal favorites are Plowboys and 3eyz, and while I've never tried dizzy pig, I hear great things.
 
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Bludawg said:
I'd wager a good sum that what is in the bottle you get aint the same as what they use you really think Paul Newman used that crap that is in that bottle... I got some Ocean front property in AZ I can let you have below market price.

Look, If I develop a flavor profile that wins on a steady basis I can make a whole new rub just not as good and put it in a bottle and sell it as my brand. Others will buy it thinking ts the same and looking for my success. Increasing my bottom line and swing the odds for a GC in my favor, and that is a WIN.
Click to expand...

Ill take that wager and you'll lose. I am on the 3 eyz team and we use the rub straight out of the package on all the kcbs meats, no mixing, no added ingredients, no modifications. There is a case in the back of the truck and when we need more we go get a bag and empty it into the shaker.

What you're suggesting isn't cool and not at all what we do. Feel free to ask Dan, Chris, Dan Mc, or anyone who has ever seen us cook at a comp.
 
Why I use rubs...

Simply Marvelous, Steph has developed flavor profiles that I really like, they tend to a sweet side, but, that is easy to deal with. I like how the rub he has made handles, the grain size and how it behaves really works for me.

The Rub Company, I like how Ryan has captured the flavor profiles of California BBQ in his rubs. I also like the texture and handling of his rubs. It is my 'go-to' for tri-tip. I will often mix his rubs with SM rubs as they complement really well.

Three-Eyz, that rub is just plain good. Whether it is actually their comp rub or not, it has a great savory flavor. It is one of the two rubs I will use if I want to fancy up a brisket or tri-tip.

Smokin' Guns Hot, see Three-Eyz

Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust-no salt, so far the only decent so salt rub I have tried. And I like that it is a premade dust that I can use as a dust on the cooker.

Todd's Dirt, nice and herby, a good counterpoint and addition if I am looking for something different and savory.

In the end, I make my own rubs as a base for almost all the cooks I do, but, it is heavily a Santa Maria style rub, the commercial stuff fills in those additional sweet and savory flavors when I want more than salt and pepper.
 
BBQ&Beyond said:
Ill take that wager and you'll lose. I am on the 3 eyz team and we use the rub straight out of the package on all the kcbs meats, no mixing, no added ingredients, no modifications. There is a case in the back of the truck and when we need more we go get a bag and empty it into the shaker.

What you're suggesting isn't cool and not at all what we do. Feel free to ask Dan, Chris, Dan Mc, or anyone who has ever seen us cook at a comp.
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Do you ever change flavor profiles based on regions?
 
Bludawg said:
I'd wager a good sum that what is in the bottle you get aint the same as what they use you really think Paul Newman used that crap that is in that bottle... I got some Ocean front property in AZ I can let you have below market price.

Look, If I develop a flavor profile that wins on a steady basis I can make a whole new rub just not as good and put it in a bottle and sell it as my brand. Others will buy it thinking ts the same and looking for my success. Increasing my bottom line and swing the odds for a GC in my favor, and that is a WIN.
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Its true, we use that crap in the bottle that we sell. Didn't always and who knows what the future will bring. But last season, 100% out of the bottle.

A flavor profile, IMO, is more than just a rub.
 
Bob in St. Louis said:
Ok, I'm good with that, but the question that begs to be asked......
"WHY" are they better?
What makes them better than ours? Is it a secret ingredient, is it the "perfect" combination of spices?
We can buy quality product, just like they can, so I'm not buying the theory that they're getting better stuff. Not by much anyway.
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^ +1....
ButtBurner has the answer...


ButtBurner said:
In my case, I think one reason is they use fresher and more consistent ingredients.

I find that I may make a certain rub to try, and have to buy some off the wall spice I have no other use for.

So, if I am not crazy about that rub, the spice just sits there unused, getting stale and old.

I may pull it out later and use it on something else, it might be good or it might not.

Its just a lot of expense to try something new I may or may not like, and have some oddball spices left over if I dont like it.

I have some now that I should probably throw out and make room for others

I have some basic rubs that use common ingredients that I make all the time, for those it makes sense.
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Some commercial rubs used by teams are NOT mixed by the team at all, but rather contracted out to a commercial packaging company that follows specific guidelines and specified quality criteria.

My friend was a national BBQ competitor, and just at The Nugget Rib Fest in Reno he would go through almost 500 lbs of rub on that weekend alone. That was just the rub used on food and not sold as rub to the public. It was almost impossible to get all of the items, mix them, package them, all in a reasonable time and then transport them to each and every event. He found it much easier to have the items mixed and delivered to the events. Only what he sold was packaged and trucked to his home.

What he sells is exactly the same as he uses in competition.

.
 
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Skidder said:
Problem I found with a lot of (not all) commercial rubs is that the first ingredient is salt. I understand salt can make some foods taste better but usually there a bit to salty. I made my same rub for years and always came in second or third with ribs then last year I decided to make a new one. I was cooking pork loin for a friends wedding reception and when I opened the smoker I knew I had hit the mark with this rub. The next weekend we did a comp and finally nailed first place with our ribs. Also we were vending pulled pork and had many many comments of how our pulled pork was so much better than the rest of the teams. I will admit you have to use the freshest spices you can find and I also understand it's up to individual taste. You have to think of what taste profile your looking for I think. Not to say there is anything wrong with commercial rubs because there isn't I just think when I'm at a comp. I want everything to be from MY recipes including rubs and sauces. But that's just my opinion.
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I used to think the same way...

I agree some commercial rubs are mostly salt and / or sugar, but many others are not...
 
Bludawg said:
Different strokes.... I like playing with my food ergo I mix my own. Mad Man thank that young man for me I wish him well on his "Adventure" I know your proud of him.
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Thanks "Bludawg", I passed your well wishes on to him, and he replied "Thank You" for your well wishes.
 
Wouldn't it be safe to say that most of the popular rubs on the market started as homemade? I wouldn't say that the commercial producers used to bring these rubs to market made them any better, just a little more consistent from batch to batch.
 
i've loved every simply marvelous and plowboys rub i've tried. it's worth the money, in my opinion. i've always admired and respected the folks that make their own rubs but i only do it when i run out and don't have enough time to order online before my next cook. i'm just not in to making my own specialty rubs........others have put the time and money in to do it and i'll buy theirs. cant beat S&P either :mrgreen:
 
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