Rubs and Sauce

I use slabs w homebbq.com

A couple of times each year we have a team cook where we'll cook like 4 briskets
using 4 different rub variations and/or injection variations. We'll usually cook 4 to
6 pork shoulders doing the same. Ribs too, about 6 slabs of ribs.

Then when done we come inside and I usually have 15 to 20 sauces mixed up and
we have a tasting party. Pull this and dip that type of thing. I remember the first
time we did this the things we though would go well together DIDN'T and it ended up
with a mixture of a few things we did more of on a whim worked great for us.

For us, over the last 3 years or so we've gotten it down to 1 rub (varied for brisket,
but I wont tell what the difference is) and varied sauces for the different meats.

Last time or two we've ended up pretty much where we were previously. Guess we
now have our preferences. However, we still do this, if for nothing else than to have
a taste testing party. I usually do this just before the 4th of July. That way when
we have our 4th of July party we'll use the extra sauces so that we can use them up.
Plus, for sauces, it gives us another group (60 or so folks) to taste test and tell
us what they think. Kinda wild too, because the more varied the sauces the more
varied the opinions. I've learned the most subjective piece are the sauce flavors.
You can't please everyone with one sauce. We generally get a consensus, and this
past year the 60% percentile was with what we (the team) had chosen. However,
the other 40% were all over the place. That'll teach me to add in mustard sauces!

Chuck,

I mix and match rubs to my own personal taste preferences. For my ribs, I use a combo of 2-3 different rub manufacturers, and same goes for pork. For brisket, I have a favorite, as I do chicken ...so I do not mix.

As for sauces, I blend as well. Blues Hog is good, but it is overdone. So sometimes I use BH mixed with something else, or I try a different brand. Some of my favorites are Cookie's, The Slabs, Spicewine Blue Collar, Head Country, Grandma's, and Mean Dean's.

Whatever combos you used at Dillon, I would repeat that process weekly :-D

See you again soon.

Kevin

as long as the meat is cooked to perfection it seems to me the seasoning and sauces become secondary--just as long as they don't over power the meat--but of course cooking the meat perfectly on a regular basis ain't easy so good seasoning combo sure can help the finished product

2Fat said:

as long as the meat is cooked to perfection it seems to me the seasoning and sauces become secondary--just as long as they don't over power the meat--but of course cooking the meat perfectly on a regular basis ain't easy so good seasoning combo sure can help the finished product

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excellent !.. I just wonder how many people will pay attention to that statement.

Podge said:

excellent !.. I just wonder how many people will pay attention to that statement.

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hopefully not many.

2Fat said:

as long as the meat is cooked to perfection it seems to me the seasoning and sauces become secondary--just as long as they don't over power the meat--but of course cooking the meat perfectly on a regular basis ain't easy so good seasoning combo sure can help the finished product

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Buzz taught me this a long time ago. This is the truth.

I got a pork rub, a chicken rub and a brisket rub.

I have a chicken brine, and pork injection and a beef injection.


That being said, I suck. So, take that as you will.

2Fat said:

as long as the meat is cooked to perfection it seems to me the seasoning and sauces become secondary--just as long as they don't over power the meat--but of course cooking the meat perfectly on a regular basis ain't easy so good seasoning combo sure can help the finished product

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Buzz is WAY off, I wouldn't listen to him:twisted::becky::becky: