Tag: BBQ Seasoning

  • What is a Good Rib Rub?

    What is a Good Rib Rub?

    What is a good rib rub? Well, I am glad you asked. A good rib rub is a balance of spices to enhance the flavor of ribs. Let’s talk specifically about dry rub on pork ribs.

    What Ingredients are in a Good Rib Rub?

    A good rib rub can consist of any combination of the following ingredients:

    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • A Sweetner – Brown Sugar, Honey Powder, or Molasses
    • Garlic Powder
    • Onion Powder
    • Smoked Paprika
    • Cayenne Pepper (optional), for a little heat!

    Now these are just a few ingredients for a rib seasoning. However, most dry rubs contain these main ingredients. 

    When formulating a dry rub for ribs, these ingredients are mixed in different ratios. This will differentiate the flavor profile considerably.

    If a seasoning is a little sweeter, it will have more brown sugar vs a good rib rub that is smokey. The smokey profile will come from more smoked paprika as one of the main ingredients.

    If a rub is spicy, it will have a touch of cayenne to add a little head with the sweet!

    How to Apply a Dry Rub for Ribs

    After removing your ribs from the packaging, rinse, and pat dry with a paper towel. Now, applying a dry rub on pork ribs is a piece of cake.

    If you are using a shaker bottle, simply shake evenly across the ribs. Make sure to apply enough to cover the edges of the rib and that is pretty much it! Flip your ribs over and repeat the process.

    No shaker bottle, no worries! Pour some of your rib seasoning into a bowl. Now pinch some seasoning out of the bowl, and sprinkle evenly across your ribs. Again, just make sure you distribute the rub evenly.

    Using a Binder

    Another way to apply a good rib rub is to use a binder. After patting your ribs dry, use a liquid binder and then apply the rub to your ribs. A binder can be olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, or just use some water.

    The benefit of using a binder is to help the dry rub stick to the surface of the ribs. This helps to keep the rub from falling off.

    How Long do you Leave a Rib Rub on your Ribs?

    We would suggest leaving your rib rub on your ribs for 15-30 minutes. This gives the salt and other seasonings time to penetrate the meat. After about 30 minutes the ribs should be “sweating”, and a paste has formed.

    This is only a suggestion as many pitmasters will simply apply the rib rub, then straight to the smoker.

    Storing your Rib Rub

    A dry rub seasoning for ribs can be stored in a cool dry place for up to six months. However, we recommend using your rub within about three months.

    In Conclusion

    A good rib rub is one that has that meets your flavor profile. Whether you like sweet, smokey, or spicey it all comes down to what are looking for.

    We have a pork rib seasoning that is perfect for St. Louis ribs or baby back ribs. It is Butcher BBQ Honey Rub. It is an amazing honey BBQ rub that was voted “Best Rub on the Planet” in 2022.

    If a honey rub is not on your radar, we have a few other rib rubs to choose from.

    Let us know in the comment section below what you look for in a good rib rub!

  • What is BBQ Seasoning?

    What is BBQ Seasoning?

    Have you ever wondered what is BBQ seasoning? Well let us take a look at what it is and where it came from.

    In a Nutshell

    In a nutshell, it is a blend of spices that we now use as a base for BBQ. Speaking of is it BBQ, Bar-b-q, or barbecue? I guess that is a topic for another day.

    Anyway, back to the seasoning discussion. We now use BBQ seasonings as a BBQ pit essential. Anytime we prepare our meat for the smoker, we add delicious seasoning.

    BBQ seasoning different from BBQ Rub

    BBQ seasoning can also be referred to as BBQ rubs. However, there is a slight difference between the two. A barbeque seasoning is usually finer to add seasoning to the meat. A barbeque rub has a slightly more coarse texture for creating a crust or “bark” on the meat.

    Like I said, they are basically the same, just slightly different. They are both applied before putting your protein on the smoker.

    Pro tip – Do not rub your rub or seasoning! You want to press the seasoning or rub into the meat.

    Some BBQ History

    Ok, here is a little BBQ history. I know I know, you are not in school, but bear with me.

    BBQ seasoning originated in the early 1600s. Spices were introduced when native Africans and Afro-Caribbean slaves were brought to America. Their homeland was full of different interesting spices they used when cooking meat over an open flame.

    These spices were then brought to the North America. Over the years as cooking evolved, with the indigenous cooking methods where meats were slow cooked over open flames. This method combined with these spices, eventually BBQ was created that we know today.

    BBQ seasoning – What about the ingredients?

    Well that is a good question. It could be as simple as:

    • Salt
    • Pepper

    Or a BBQ seasoning could be more complex containing any of the following ingredients:

    • smoked paprika
    • brown sugar
    • garlic powder
    • onion powder
    • mustard powder
    • chili powder
    • cumin
    • black pepper
    • salt
    • cayenne pepper (optional)

    In Conclusion

    At the end of the day a BBQ seasoning is a blend of different herbs and spices. The numerous seasonings out there just mix and match the combinations of the ingredients to make amazing additions to BBQ.

    Now that you know about seasonings, might I suggest our delicious Honey BBQ Rub? It was voted “Best Rub on the Planet” in 2022! We have several additional BBQ Seasoning Rubs to choose from.

    What are you waiting for? Now it is time to fire up that smoker and get to cooking!