I am going to try my hand at a dry rib rub....again. Advice/pointers please

Bamabuzzard

Bamabuzzard

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I've tried and conquered making a mop sauce to flavor my ribs. I'm very happy with it and am now looking for another "challenge". I went to a mop sauce because I absolutely sucked at coming up with a dry rib rub. Well, I'm going to return to this challenge and try my hand at it again.

When I tried my hand at it before my rubs would taste great when tasted from the bag (putting some on finger and tasting it). But when put on the meat and smoked it just didn't taste very good.

I made most of my rubs from a dark brown sugar base, with one tablespoon of kosher salt, half table spoon of black pepper, teaspoon of garlic and onion powder, *touch* of cayenne and table spoon of paprika. I smoke my ribs religiously between 240-250 degrees.

Any tips or "what not to do's" would be greatly appreciated.
 
I have yet to perfect this myself. The most important thing I can share is to make sure you take complete notes... Not a 1/4 pinch of anything goes in without being noted... I have made some great stuff in my life that cannot be replicated because of no, or incomplete notes.
 
Here's a basic Kansas City rib rub...
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup paprika
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
Here's one of my personal favorites...

Big Time BBQ Rub (courtesy of Brother Ray)...:biggrin:

- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cayenne
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Good luck...and have fun! :biggrin:
 
I am by no means an expert, but I do like my dry rub I use on ribs.

First suggestion: Either lose the dark brown sugar, change it to light brown sugar or reduce the amounts.

I don't like the way dark brown sugar tastes after an extended visit to the smoker, and have since switched to light brown sugar.

Second suggestion: Sugar begins to burn around 265. Burnt sugar has a nasty bitter taste. Either lower the temps you cook at or cut way back on the sugar component of your rub
 
Paprika has natural sugars, and you'll need a high quality one.
Lower quality paprika tends to get bitter.
Maybe try a fine grained turbinado, as it has a higher burn point. You'll get more of the sweet taste as it'll just caramelize without burning.
Other than that just experiment with other spices. Use flavor profiles that match the meat. Onion tends to go very well with beef, but too much may not work with pork. Try a little chipotle for heat instead of cayenne. You'll get it.
 
I've switched from brown sugar to turbinado sugar or "Sugar in the Raw". Been much happier with the results.
 
im no pro, but keep it simple, light on the salt cuz it'll dry them out, turbinado sugar instead of any type of brown. I make a rub base thats basically a 2lb box of turbinado, and a 1/2 cup of black pepper, bout a 1/3 white pepper and the rest cayenne to make a total of 1 cup, has always been a good starting point.
 
RubMeTender said:
P.
Maybe try a fine grained turbinado, as it has a higher burn point. You'll get more of the sweet taste as it'll just caramelize without burning.
Click to expand...

fweck said:
I've switched from brown sugar to turbinado sugar or "Sugar in the Raw". Been much happier with the results.
Click to expand...

early mornin' smokin' said:
turbinado sugar instead of any type of brown.
Click to expand...

^^^ they make a good point. Turbinado sugar does seem to have a higher burn temp.
 
Good lord at the great advice. Thank you guys very, very much. Keep it coming. So far it seems my problems may be in the type of sugar, needing to go to "sugar in the raw" and away from dark brown sugar. Lighten up on the onion powder or discard altogether. Get a higher quality paprika because the cheap chit turns bitter and try another spice for my heat such as chipotle.
 
Also, after long cook, IMHO, the powdered garlic & onion get a little skunky, as does
celery powdered or seeds...

Going back to basics, the old fashioned black pepper and a little salt tastes pretty
good. What I did was built from there. Ends up, I dont care for the sugars in
the rub itself (I let the sugars come through from the sauce). Mine is basically
chili powder (variation of red peppers), paprika, I use Tony Cacherey's for the
"seasoned" salt, a little chipotle, and a dab of cayenne.
 
Ive went the way of sugarless recently. Ive found I get wnough sugar through the sauce. Basic sugarless rub I have been using

1/3 cup table salt
1/4 cup paprika
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon granulated garlic
1 Tablespoon chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
 
I have also been expierimenting with some rubs. One thing I am trying to figure out is what gives some commercial rubs a smokey flavor? Is it a certain kind of pepricka? I added some crushed dried chilis and that was better but not quite there yet. I figure it cant be Liquid Smoke. :-D
 
it is a smoke additive. like liquid smoke but solid as the case may be. Why you would want this crap on your meat when your are already smoking it I have no idea. Maybe Plowboys (which I don't think uses crap to smoke up their rub) can tell us why they dont - and thus why every other damn product on the market ain't fit to shine their spice's damn shoes.

Remember, some of those ****in rubs ALSO are to give goddamn flavors to ****ing meat to GRILL or use in a goddamn standard kitchen. Kinda like the a damn smoker in a jar.

And now an ode to Plowboys.

Don't ****ing forget, you go to contests for what? ****, I came here to win this damn contest, Did I win it? **** no, I came in 70th or some damn retard number. Who won it, Plowwho? Now then? Looks like I may need to shine their damn shoes.
 
I have been really lazy of late and just been using 'Yardbird'. When I make rub, it consists of high quality spices, paprika, kosher salt, turbinado sugar, celery seed, granulated garlic, coarsely ground toasted dried onion and a little herb blend. Here is another recipe that works well for me.

Bob’s Basic Mother Rub Mix
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup Gebhardts chili powder (I also use my own chile powder at times)
1 tablespoon lemon, lime or orange zest (dried)
1 teaspoon granlated garlic
1 teaspoon medium ground toasted onion

Note there is no salt in that recipe, I usually top this rub with kosher salt.
 
barbefunkoramaque said:
it is a smoke additive. like liquid smoke but solid as the case may be. Why you would want this crap on your meat when your are already smoking it I have no idea. Maybe Plowboys (which I don't think uses crap to smoke up their rub) can tell us why they dont - and thus why every other damn product on the market ain't fit to shine their spice's damn shoes.

Remember, some of those rubs ALSO are to give flavors to meat to GRILL or use in a standard kitchen. Kinda like a smoker in a jar.

And now an ode to Plowboys.

Myron: Hell, I came here to win this damn contest, Did I win it? Hell no, I came in 70th or some damn retard number. Who won it, Plowwho? Now then? Looks like I may need to shine their damn shoes.
Click to expand...


Actually my first attempt was your Butt Glitter. I liked it but for MY taste too much pepricka for pulled pork but I used on a smoked butt I'm putting in chili and think that will be very good. I also want to try on some beef or steak. I do grill more then I smoke so the Yardbird was excellent on chicken. Bovine Bold is also a little more peppery then I like. I am trying to find something inbetween. They all have good qualities. I too find the taste out of the jar is different from when it comes off the grill.

That Myron moment was clasic. Can't remeber if it was that episode or the one before when he said with scores that low you think I poisened somebody. Hey got him on Leno.
 
landarc said:
I have been really lazy of late and just been using 'Yardbird'. When I make rub, it consists of high quality spices, paprika, kosher salt, turbinado sugar, celery seed, granulated garlic, coarsely ground toasted dried onion and a little herb blend. Here is another recipe that works well for me.

Bob’s Basic Mother Rub Mix
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup Gebhardts chili powder (I also use my own chile powder at times)
1 tablespoon lemon, lime or orange zest (dried)
1 teaspoon granlated garlic
1 teaspoon medium ground toasted onion

Note there is no salt in that recipe, I usually top this rub with kosher salt.
Click to expand...

That sounds closer to where I am going. I like the earthy tones of Garlic, cumin, oragano, chili powder over more pepper. I am also thinking of some caraway seeds ground. Anybody ever try that?
 
barbefunkoramaque said:
it is a smoke additive. like liquid smoke but solid as the case may be. Why you would want this crap on your meat when your are already smoking it I have no idea. Maybe Plowboys (which I don't think uses crap to smoke up their rub) can tell us why they dont - and thus why every other damn product on the market ain't fit to shine their spice's damn shoes.

Remember, some of those ****in rubs ALSO are to give goddamn flavors to ****ing meat to GRILL or use in a goddamn standard kitchen. Kinda like the a damn smoker in a jar.

And now an ode to Plowboys.

Don't ****ing forget, you go to contests for what? ****, I came here to win this damn contest, Did I win it? **** no, I came in 70th or some damn retard number. Who won it, Plowwho? Now then? Looks like I may need to shine their damn shoes.
Click to expand...

Who the hell do you think you are? ain't no damn body gonna tell us how to smoke some damn ribs..
we were winning damn prizes when the rest of y'all were ****ting damn green.

I sure as the hell ain't gonna use no damn fake smoke ****. if you want to know more you will just have to spend your damn money and come to one of my damn classes.


LMAO..classic stuff
 
Cast Iron Cheif said:
I have also been expierimenting with some rubs. One thing I am trying to figure out is what gives some commercial rubs a smokey flavor? Is it a certain kind of pepricka? I added some crushed dried chilis and that was better but not quite there yet. I figure it cant be Liquid Smoke. :-D
Click to expand...
Hungarian paprika tends to have a bit more smokey flavor than regular paprika, but can also be spicier. You may wanna try it, but if you use cumin, you may wanna cut that in half. Keep some regular paprika in there as well.
 
Cast Iron Cheif said:
I have also been expierimenting with some rubs. One thing I am trying to figure out is what gives some commercial rubs a smokey flavor? Is it a certain kind of pepricka? I added some crushed dried chilis and that was better but not quite there yet. I figure it cant be Liquid Smoke. :-D
Click to expand...

I like using a good Smoked Spanish Paprika, difficult to find, but a nice smokiness to it.
 
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