TIL a competition pitmaster only uses 3 ingredients in his rub

I was watching a BBQ livestream last weekend and this guy who won 4 competitions last year said he only uses salt, pepper, and garlic powder. No brown sugar, no paprika, nothing fancy. He said people overthink it and hide the meat flavor. I tried it on a pork shoulder Sunday and honestly it was the best bark I've ever gotten. Anyone else ever strip down their rub like that and have it work out?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_torres22d ago

Agree to disagree I guess but I think kelly_craigs missing what that pitmaster was getting at. Brown sugar is mostly for color and sweetness but it burns and gets bitter on long cooks if you arent careful. I stripped my rub down to just salt pepper and garlic for a brisket last month and it was the most beef forward one Ive ever made. The fat rendered better and the bark was this deep dark crust that actually tasted like meat not like a sugar cookie. Maybe its not for everyone but the whole point is that the meat doesnt need help if the fire and technique are on point.

verawhite23d ago

Wait, isn't brown sugar pretty standard for bark color though?

kelly_craig24d ago

Him saying people "hide the meat flavor" is kind of missing the point for me. A good rub should compliment the meat, not just sit on top of it. Salt, pepper, and garlic is solid for sure, but it's a base, not a full recipe. I've tried stripping it down and my brisket came out pretty one note compared to when I use a little brown sugar and paprika for sweetness and color. There's a middle ground between overcomplicating it and going too plain, you know?