Recipe: 4 Homemade Barbecue Rubs by True Texas Pitmasters
Can you ever finish perfecting a homemade barbecue rub? Good rubs are the product of countless hours of experimentation, a careful alchemy of blending spices and toying with quantities. Once you’ve found your favorite rub, it becomes what barbecue tastes like.
Every pitmaster has their favorite rub for different kinds of barbecue. Here are some Texas legends’ recipes to inspire your next homemade barbecue rub.
Aaron Franklin’s Homemade Dry Rub Recipe
Source: “MasterClass”
Part of the mystique of Aaron Franklin’s barbecue magic comes from his simple, almost minimalist approach to the craft. His brisket rub is merely a delicately balanced blend of salt and pepper, but it has seasoned the smoked meat that turns customers into fanatics.
Ingredients:
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup 16-mesh café grind black pepper
Mustard or hot sauce for slather
Method:
Combine salt and pepper in a shaker and mix. When preparing the brisket, begin with the fat side down, and slather the meat with just enough mustard or hot sauce to get the homemade barbecue rub to stick. Shake the rub across the brisket from side to side until the entire side of meat is covered. Gently press the rub into the meat. Flip and repeat on the other side.
Louis Charles Henley’s All-Purpose Rub
Source: “Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pitmasters”
Henley, the former pitmaster at Ruthie’s Pit Bar-B-Q in Navasota, said wood is the most important seasoning in good barbecue. He started with post oak for heat, then added pecan and finished with mesquite. It makes sense, then, that his all-purpose rub is a simple concoction that lets the wood smoke shine.
Ingredients:
¼ cup Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Method:
Combine in a shaker bottle, cap tightly, and shake to mix. Makes about 6 tablespoons.
Rockney Terry’s Pork Rub
Source: “Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pitmasters”
Rockney Terry is a barbecue competition champion for good reason. His simple pork rub offers a solid, spicy base for your next rack of smoked ribs.
Ingredients:
¼ cup salt
¼ cup paprika
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
Method:
Combine and transfer to a shaker jar. Makes about 1 ¼ cups.
Stubb’s Spicy Pork Rub
Source: “Barbecue Crossroads: Notes and Recipes from a Southern Odyssey”
You can find Stubb’s famous barbecue sauce at most Texas grocery stores, but here’s the secret to the Austin legend’s zesty rib rub.
Ingredients:
1 cup salt
¼ cup chili powder
¼ cup paprika
⅓ cup garlic powder
⅓ cup cayenne
½ cup ground dry rosemary
½ cup ground black pepper
Method:
Combine and store in a shaker to use as needed. Makes about 3 cups.
Whether you’re an aspiring pitmaster or an expert in the craft, there are barbecue legends all around you to draw inspiration from.
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