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That old pitmaster in Lockhart who set me straight on rubs
I was down in Lockhart Texas last spring at this little spot off 183 and this old timer saw me loading up on a pre-made rub. He pulled me aside and said "son you're paying for sugar and salt, the meat does the work." He showed me his mix right there on the counter, just black pepper and kosher salt with a little garlic powder. Has anyone else had a random encounter with a pitmaster that totally changed how they season things?
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robertb4722d ago
haha yeah I feel you on that "salt lick with no depth" thing, I tried going straight S&P on my first few cooks and it was just flat. Sometimes you gotta tweak it to make it work with your gear.
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veraj5322d ago
Oh man, you're speaking my language! I did the same thing when I started out, thought I was being all purist with just salt and pepper, and it came out so boring I almost gave up on brisket entirely. A little paprika and garlic powder really saved my next few cooks when my smoker was all over the place temp-wise.
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3 pounds of black pepper to 1 pound of kosher salt is what Franklin uses and people swear by it. I get what the old guy was saying about not buying overpriced rubs but salt and pepper only works if you have a killer smoke setup and perfect temp control. Most guys don't, and a little paprika or chili powder can actually help build bark when your cooker is running hot or inconsistent. I've tried the simple route and my brisket came out tasting like a salt lick with no depth.
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