Low/no sugar rub suggestions for ribs

[ron50]

Hey all.

I'm looking for some suggestions for a rub. I'll be smoking some baby back ribs this week. I really love Jeff's rub but lately I have been having issues with the bark getting a little too dark for my liking due to all that yummy brown sugar in the rub.

Any suggestions to reduce the sugar so I can keep the ribs more mahogany colored but still maintaining the balance of spicy sweet I like from his rub?

Thanks.

 

[Winterrider]

I would just slowly reduce the amount of brown sugar. Adjust to your liking.

 

[jcam222]

I have started using a different approach due to this issue with ribs. I use Brown sugar sivs which darken even more. I now just do a basic SPOG rub overnight and smoke like that up to wrapping. When I wrap I add my sweet rub and some butter or margarine. I time it so after that and unwrap it gets only a half hour or so more of heat. Color much better.

 

[thirdeye]

Check out "sugar in the raw" (aka turbinado sugar), which comes in white and brown. It has a higher heat point and won't darken as easily. When Dizzy Pig Rubs came out, some of their blends used turbinado.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Check out "sugar in the raw" (aka turbinado sugar)

Yes and it can be found at Walmart...

 

[normanaj]

What thirdeye said. We use raw exclusively now.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

I have started using a different approach due to this issue with ribs. I use Brown sugar sivs which darken even more. I now just do a basic SPOG rub overnight and smoke like that up to wrapping. When I wrap I add my sweet rub and some butter or margarine. I time it so after that and unwrap it gets only a half hour or so more of heat. Color much better.

I just made up a new batch of that sweet heat. That is my favorite rub.

 

[ron50]

Thanks all. I'm going to try and sub the brown sugar with turbinado.

 

[pineywoods]

Thanks all. I'm going to try and sub the brown sugar with turbinado.

Ron I still use Jeff's recipe but I use the turbinado in place of the brown sugar and it works great. About the only time I use brown sugar anymore is in Dutch's bean recipe and I don't know that turbinado wouldn't work there as well but have never tried it.

 

[ron50]

Ron I still use Jeff's recipe but I use the turbinado in place of the brown sugar and it works great. About the only time I use brown sugar anymore is in Dutch's bean recipe and I don't know that turbinado wouldn't work there as well but have never tried it.

Thanks Jerry. I am going to give it a shot.

 

[chef k-dude]

I went sugar free with rubs and sauces about 5 years ago. My BBQ rub is apparently very much like Jeff's because some years ago I posted it and someone PM'ed upset that they had paid for the recipe I just posted for free!

I dont pay for stuff like that, so no way I was representing myself with Jeff's recipe. Mine is simply straight from the Taste of Home Cookbook grilling section recipe for BBQ spare ribs. I added onion powder, white pepper and ground coriander to it.

I use Brown Swerve these days (which is erythritol). Used to use Sukrin Gold (same as Brown Swerve) or Lakanto Monkfruit Golden.

I never had a problem using brown sugar in a rub though. Are you running a high temp or something? I dont smoke the smithereens out of ribs...or anything else anymore. My wife likes a kiss of smoke, not so much you taste it through the next day. But my ribs still spend the time baking in the smoker then I set sauce on the grill. Never had a big over browning or burning problem.