Do you have a old school recipe for VA rub?
The first rub on Virginia barbecue was nothing. After that, a little hickory ash. After that, perhaps a little salt. But, early on, all they did was put meat on the pit and baste it with vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Later, some of the more well to do people did some interesting things but it was just to distinguish the food they ate from the food their servants ate.
In the early 20th century, Virginia BBQ was pretty much seasoned with nothing, salt, salt water, or salt, pepper, cayenne and perhaps a little brown sugar and cumin.
Virginia barbecue style is minimalist. It's not candy coated like some other regional styles. It's about the meat and the smoke as much as anything.