Seasonings/Rubs - Buy or Make Own?

[DougE]

I generally make my own rubs, but I do occasionally use commercial rubs. The benefits to making my own are that I control the salt content, and also, if I want to tweak the recipe, I know the exact amount of everything in them. I also do my own spice blends for sausage for the same reasons.

 

[chops1sc]

My only experience with making my own seasoning/rub is for my "Steak Seasoning". I use quotations because I put it on everything, LOL! I got it from the Waltwins on YouTube. They call it "The usual suspects"; equal parts salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and adobo (without pepper). I have thought about adding things to it since I have started to do more smoking.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Like many others, I make many of my own, but also use commercially blended ones because many will have a component that I just don't want to buy such as Worcestershire Powder, Bourbon Powder, or other spices that I may not use much of...

 

[3montes]

I used to make my own but it kind of got out of hand as far as the number of various spices that filled two cabinets. Eventually some would age out and have to be tossed. I was buying expensive spices from various online vendors. I started buying from blended rubs from Oak Ridge BBQ probably ten years ago now. His blends were better than anything I could mix and he was sourcing and using spices I would never think of using. Plus when you order directly from him your order is made fresh and shipped. It comes in mylar bags that keep all the light and air out which are the two biggest killers to freshness.

The most important thing when it comes to spice blends and rubs is the freshness.For brisket I use salt and pepper only and usually dry brine brisket the night before and add the pepper before it hits the smoker. You can dry brine and still use Oak Ridge blends as he uses fine flake sea salt and in most his rubs it’s not the first ingredient. Mike who runs the place has had high blood pressure for years and blends all his rubs with that in mind.

 

[mikega]

I make my own also. I have one general rub I make I've used for years for pork and chicken. With beef I keep it simple. I prefer kosher salt and pepper only.

 

[noboundaries]

The one rub I make the instant I run out is my own version of garlic salt. I use it to sprinkle on food instead of table salt. I've progressed from complicated versions to quite simple, and buy the ingredients in the bulk spice section of my grocery store. Here's my latest list of ingredients:

1/4 cup granulated garlic (not powder)
1/4 cup fine sea salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs (1/8 cup) dried parsley flakes

 

[clifish]

I used to make my own but it kind of got out of hand as far as the number of various spices that filled two cabinets. Eventually some would age out and have to be tossed. I was buying expensive spices from various online vendors. I started buying from blended rubs from Oak Ridge BBQ probably ten years ago now. His blends were better than anything I could mix and he was sourcing and using spices I would never think of using. Plus when you order directly from him your order is made fresh and shipped. It comes in mylar bags that keep all the light and air out which are the two biggest killers to freshness.

The most important thing when it comes to spice blends and rubs is the freshness.For brisket I use salt and pepper only and usually dry brine brisket the night before and add the pepper before it hits the smoker. You can dry brine and still use Oak Ridge blends as he uses fine flake sea salt and in most his rubs it’s not the first ingredient. Mike who runs the place has had high blood pressure for years and blends all his rubs with that in mind.

It is too bad Mike shut down Oakridge BBQ, 80% of my rubs came from him.

 

[Marknmd]

I make my own and I buy them. SnS sells rubs that are salt free. If I dry brine with a plan to use a rub with salt in it, I will dry brine with half the amount of salt (meathead's recommendation) which seems to work just fine.

 

[Buttah Butts]

Use to make my own but now I use Meatchurch rubs very happy with them

 

[357mag]

I have tried a few store bought rubs for pork but nothing is as good as home made Meathead's Memphis dust. For beef it is usually Kosher salt and pepper or montreal Steak seasoning.

 

[gmc2003]

I have tried a few store bought rubs for pork but nothing is as good as home made Meathead's Memphis dust. For beef it is usually Kosher salt and pepper or montreal Steak seasoning.

If you haven't already you should try TulsaJeff rubs. They're as good as advertised.

Chris

 

[LoydB]

I make homemade and sometimes use commercial. For instance, I love Killer Hogs TX Brisket Rub. But usually I make my own.

 

[DougE]

If you haven't already you should try TulsaJeff rubs. They're as good as advertised.

Chris

I second that. I bought the recipes from him shortly after I joined. I use other rubs here and there, especially if I'm in a hurry and don't have any mixed up, but Jeff's rubs are what I mostly use.

 

[Inscrutable]

Agree with gmc2003 and DougE
His original and a Red Hot & Blue clone are the two I use the most on pork, and his BBQ sauce is REALLY good (With low sugar ketchup)

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

Usually make my own. Sometimes I’ll get some store bought garlic or something like that for chicken breast. But ribs, and pork but it any pork really I use a rub I went off of Jeff’s. Mostly brown sugar. Beef gets SPOG, and sometimes Hardcore Carnivore

 

[TulsaJeff]

Agree 100% with making your own rubs and sauces and going for low or no salt whenever you can.

I also like to dry brine the meat and you'll see me in most of my recipes dry brining and even adding my seasoning on top of that because they are low in salt.

When I see a rub that's mostly salt, I know they just threw it together and I know that they are all about profit margins and not about producing a great product.

If you have the chance, try your hand at making your own. It has been one of the single best things I have ever done and it was born out of my dissatisfaction for what was available on the shelf.

Only YOU know what you like and how salty you like it, how sweet you like it, what spices and herbs you tend to enjoy. Take all of that into account and make something, write it down, then change stuff and cross out things and change the amounts.

It's all a really fun process and a great hobby if nothing else.

I spent more than 6 months creating my barbecue sauce and I started the day after I got back from attending a local barbecue competition. The meat was good but ALL of the sauce was absolute crap and I KNEW that I could do better.

I had a blast making my own stuff and I still enjoy mixing my own things up or doctoring things up that I bought at the store.

My girls grew up seeing me do that so playfully and with no fear of the outcome and both of them now do that to absolute perfection in their own kitchens with their own family.

My 20 year old son is the mix king.. I'll walk into the kitchen and he'll have every spice and herb that we own out on the cabinet carefully adding and pouring but he's way more listless about it than I like. He don't write nothing down because he's just "in the moment"

 

[cptnding]

Agree 100% with making your own rubs and sauces and going for low or no salt whenever you can.

I also like to dry brine the meat and you'll see me in most of my recipes dry brining and even adding my seasoning on top of that because they are low in salt.

When I see a rub that's mostly salt, I know they just threw it together and I know that they are all about profit margins and not about producing a great product.

If you have the chance, try your hand at making your own. It has been one of the single best things I have ever done and it was born out of my dissatisfaction for what was available on the shelf.

Only YOU know what you like and how salty you like it, how sweet you like it, what spices and herbs you tend to enjoy. Take all of that into account and make something, write it down, then change stuff and cross out things and change the amounts.

It's all a really fun process and a great hobby if nothing else.

I spent more than 6 months creating my barbecue sauce and I started the day after I got back from attending a local barbecue competition. The meat was good but ALL of the sauce was absolute crap and I KNEW that I could do better.

I had a blast making my own stuff and I still enjoy mixing my own things up or doctoring things up that I bought at the store.

My girls grew up seeing me do that so playfully and with no fear of the outcome and both of them now do that to absolute perfection in their own kitchens with their own family.

My 20 year old son is the mix king.. I'll walk into the kitchen and he'll have every spice and herb that we own out on the cabinet carefully adding and pouring but he's way more listless about it than I like. He don't write nothing down because he's just "in the moment"

Are the recipes still available for purchase? Probably somewhere obvious but I'm not finding it.
Thanks!

 

[TulsaJeff]

Are the recipes still available for purchase? Probably somewhere obvious but I'm not finding it.
Thanks!

Yes, you can still get them at https://order.smoking-meat.com. For now, they are still available.

 

[daniels]

For me the PRIME example of too much salt in a seasoning mix is Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning.

"Directions: Use like salt. When it's salty enough, it's seasoned to perfection."

WRONG!!!

When it's salty enough the food doesn't have enough of the other seasonings. When it has enough of the other seasonings it's waaaay to salty to eat.

I'm sure it's fine for some people who put tons of salt on everything but it's horrible for me and other people like me. Salt is the main ingredient then there are 4 other seasonings. I make my own salt free version then add salt to the food if desired.

 

[clifish]

For me the PRIME example of too much salt in a seasoning mix is Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning.

"Directions: Use like salt. When it's salty enough, it's seasoned to perfection."

WRONG!!!

When it's salty enough the food doesn't have enough of the other seasonings. When it has enough of the other seasonings it's waaaay to salty to eat.

I'm sure it's fine for some people who put tons of salt on everything but it's horrible for me and other people like me. Salt is the main ingredient then there are 4 other seasonings. I make my own salt free version then add salt to the food if desired.

I just got the kinders buttery blend and do like it but way too much salt. I wonder if I could just find the "buttery" component and make my own?