Anyone taste a lot of celery salt sort of flavor in the HDD? Or am I crazy?
I didn't initially experience that taste when I first tried it on pork chops and wings but the last couple times I have made both it has really come through. Made me wonder if maybe the rub is getting a bit old (stale) somehow...
Sorry if that hijaks the thread.
I have been looking for an excuse to discuss this. I have noticed that my Oakridge rubs that I don't use very often seem to be improving in flavor over time.
When I first got the HDD, I thought it was completely one dimensional. All glorious Habanero heat with nothing else going on except a sweet to balance it. Now that my shaker of HDD is several months old, I notice other flavors. Almost like an American Curry, if there were such a thing. I chalk this up to the fact that most OR rubs come very fresh, and certain ingredients are extremely potent when fresh. Over time, the flavors mellow, and the blend of spices becomes a little more complex, if maybe a little less intense.
I have noticed this same effect with the Secret Weapon and the Santa Maria.
When they are one day out of the mail box, they are extremely potent and not really at their best, in my opinion.
After a month or so in a shaker bottle, or sitting in the bag in the back of my cupboard, they seem to mellow and come to life. The lesser potent ingredients come a little bit more forward, and the very intense ingredients seem to mellow, leading to a more complex flavor profile that might not be apparent from an initial tasting.
I first noticed this effect when I bought my first bag of Secret Weapon. After using 3 sample packs over 3 or 4 months to get to know the rub, I finally bought a bigger bag and immediately noticed a huge difference. At first I didn't even like the SW anymore, because it was so intense and different from what I was used to.
A couple months later, and I am back to throwing it on every single thing I cook, because it has aged and mellowed into what I expect from the SW.
Ultimately, I have found that OR rubs age a lot better than most other commercial rubs. They still change over time, but they are so fresh when ordered from the OR website that they will still be good over a year later, in my experience.
Sorry if this de-rails the thread.
ON TOPIC: I just ordered the Game Changer Brine for the first time! It's the only OR product I haven't tried yet. I just got a fair deal on a 7 pound Pork Shoulder that is sitting in the freezer waiting for the delivery!