Your goto dry rub recipe?

Pork baby b’s to be more specific. [cheers.gif]

Buzz, here’s my recipe, created over 15 years ago. Many friends and family members have asked for it over the years.

If you don’t have a small digital scale, just eyeball the amounts from the respective containers. For instance, if the recipe calls for 2.5 ounces of paprika and the paprika comes in a 4 ounce container, just shake out a little more than half. All of the spices are sold by weight (I think), so don’t measure by volume, except for the salt. And DON’T use bulk spices, as they tended to clump when we tried them.

We double the following recipe and it makes 6 to 6 and a half cups, so the salt is actually less than 20% of the total volume. Use generously for best effect. When we make it we put a large, metal strainer over a large bowl and pour each ingredient through the mesh to homogenize the spices. The mesh should catch only the largest salt grains and pieces of pepper. When all ingredients are in the bowl, we stir it with a spoon, then use a measuring cup to scoop the rub out and run it once again through the strainer into another large bowl. Use the back of a tablespoon to push it through the mesh if you need to. This second sifting helps to mix the spices evenly.

It’s easier when 2 people make it together. Try to make it when it’s dry (not humid) in your kitchen, not when boiling a big pot of soup or steaming veggies, etc., so the spice stays nice and dry. We pour it into smaller containers, like the ones the spices are in.

1/2 cup fine sea salt (use a measuring cup, the only time you will pour by volume, not weight)
2 oz. fine ground black pepper
1 oz. chili powder
1/2 oz. cumin
1.25 oz. celery salt
1.25 oz. onion powder
3 oz. garlic powder
2 oz. paprika (not smoked)
1.25 oz. mustard powder

We like it on: eggs, tomatoes, veggies, ribs, chicken, pork, lamb, fish, marinades, mushrooms - just about anything you would use salt and pepper on.

No sugars?

Not in the rub but you can always add some brown sugar for ribs.

My go-to “rib rub” has always been from the Aidells and Kelly “Bible”:

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Meat-Cookbook-Bruce-Aidells/dp/061813512X

Here’s a modified version, but buy the book if you don’t already have it!

[cheers.gif]

Sadly, this place closed a while back.

Cinnamon, instant coffee, garlic powder, pepper, chili, and salt.

Paprika
Granulated Garlic
Onion Powder
Dry Mustard
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Cayenne

I’m always salt and sugar free on Baby Backs but add salt and brown sugar for pork butt. Most sauces have plenty of sugar.

When I make my own, I free hand it. My rubs depend upon the meat. Beef gets less paprika, no brown sugar, and more salt and pepper. Sometimes only salt and pepper. Chicken gets more herbs. Pork gets more dried honey powder, brown sugar, mustard powder.
But a very good lesson learned is that it is very difficult to make a better rub than some of the top commercial rubs produced by proven competition cook winners. I keep two or three of my favorites on hand including a finishing rub. And here is the rub: the top commercial rubs are not only better, but they cost less per pound. That is the result of economies of scale. The mark-up on spices for most of us is huge. A professional cook acquaintance of mine told me what he pays for basic spices in bulk and it about 10% of what I pay. And he gets his spices from the same artisanal source as I do. I am not talking about the crap you find at GFS and Costco.

OK, I seem to be the Great Thread Killer.
So here is my basic rib recipe.
Paprika
Black Pepper
Kosher salt
Each of the above in equal parts
Brown sugar (half compared to the above, i.e. one half of the amount of Kosher salt)
Cumin (half again as much as the brown sugar)
Cayenne (same amount as the cumin)
The below are optional. I mix things up.
Mustard powder
Dried Honey powder
Sage
Aleppo
Dried lemon rind powder

I wouldn’t all it crap. Unless you mean crap like D.O. La Mancha saffron, and whole black tellicherry peppercorns, for a fraction of the price from anywhere else. Or vintage-dated XVOO from specific Italian, Spanish, and Greek regions - again cheaper than anywhere else. In all likelihood wherever you choose to shop you are getting completely ripped off compared to Costco pricing.

As for my spice rub, I start with Spanish smoked paprika, followed by black pepper. Then I add smaller quantities of whatever strikes my fancy - plenty of ideas listed above. I never put salt in my spice rub, so that ai can measure and control the salt separately.

Here is the one I use from my brother. This is the 3rd revision. I do sometimes drop the garlic. One thing you can’t tweak is the cumin. Any more and it is overpowering. Any less and you lose the subtle herbal taste.

Rib Rub

1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne (up to 2tsp optional)
1 tsp chipotle
1 tsp paprika (smoked paprika optional)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp espresso coffee (ie Bustelo)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder

It doesn’t qualify as “go to” since we only did it once - last week my whole family very much enjoyed a Bon Appetit recipe with a five spice - brown sugar rub, and soy hoisin ginger garlic glaze. I expect it would work quite well to add any of the other ingredients folks listed here.

Here is mine:

0.75 cup Dark Brown Sugar, dried in over @200 for 15 minutes
0.25 cup White sugar
0.25 cup paprika
2 tbsp Granulated Garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp Chili Powder
2 tbsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp Fresh Ground Green Pepper
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 tbsp mustard powder
1 tsp ground celery seed
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp allspice
2 tsp white pepper

I always salt separately from the rub. This allows me to adjust salt based on the volume of meat (pork butt gets more salt than ribs)

I eat ribs a couple of times a year but I have been using this spice on everything and it is fantastic.

I have my own version but in a sea of rubs, no matter.

However! I have recently discovered toasted onion powder at my local purveyor. Yes, I have used onion powder just like you all have. But this stuff is a game changer. It has a depth and sweetness that you cannot get otherwise. I encourage you to try it and see.

I’ve never actually made the pork shoulder as he instructs here, but I make big jars of Chris Lily’s rub and put it on all cuts of pork and chicken all the time. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/chris-lillys-six-time-world-championship-pork-shoulder-52415241

I made up a new one for my brisket served alongside turkey on Thanksgiving and it was good.

1 part Chipotle powder
1 part black pepper
1 part paprika
1 part kosher salt
1 part mustard powder

Having fresh and high quality spices is important. I bought this https://www.amazon.com/Spice-Way-Ground-Chipotle/dp/B07CQC99S1/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=ground+chipotle+powder&qid=1606919254&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFGTTBEVzc0RVhGQlYmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAwNzg1NTAxVVlPNzdCSFNGTVVMJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1ODk0OTRRV1BHWlBVNUgyN0smd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

One cup equal parts medium and coarse sea sale
One cup coarse pepper
1/2 cup smoked sweet paprika
1/2 cup granulated onion
1/2 cup granulated garlic
1/8 cup chipotle pepper

That’s it.

I use this as a base, then adjust depending on what I’m doing. Add whatever to make it more savory, hotter, sweeter, etc.

Mine is pretty similar but for pork it always carries brown sugar as the main base. I don’t tend to measure and kinda eyeball it, but it’s

Dark brown sugar
Kosher salt
coarse ground black pepper
paprika
mustard powder
celery salt
onion powder
garlic powder
ancho chili powder
cinnamon
all spice
cayenne pepper

Low and slow on pork baby backs will get a pretty good bark, and balances umami, sweet, salty, and a hint of spice.

I quite dislike cumin, and so keep it out of my BBQ when at all possible.